Right Here
by Miss Sofie
Summary: COMPLETE! MarkOC. Basically just the story from the movie a little rewritten and very much continued.
1. The Wedding

A/N: Hello there. This is my first try at a **Love Actually** fanfiction, and I have no idea if anyone bothers to read it at all. I love the film and I love Andrew Lincoln. What can I say? He's about the cutest person on earth when he's feeling troubled (or at least acting troubled)!

Anyway, it's gonna be a love story, as always, but since **Love Actually** actually _is_ a love story (or many of them) (Sorry, I know that line was lame. I just had to write it.), I think it'll work just fine. At least I hope so. I probably can't make it as funny as the film (no, I _definitely_ can't), but I still thought I'd give it a try.

Okay, so enough of my rambling here. Let's get down to business. Here you go, the first chapter of **Right Here**.

Oh, almost forgetting the disclaimer. I'm only gonna write it this once this time.

I don't own anything but my own original character. Nothing at all. The rightful owner would be Universal Pictures.

- Miss Sofie.

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**Chapter One – The Wedding**

The church was magnificently decorated. There were flowers everywhere, the sun shone in through the small, colourful window panes under the roof, people where happy and the bride mother cried as her daughter entered the church holding on to her father's arm. The settings were, in short, perfect.

As the organ music began and Juliet walked up the aisle smiling happily by her father's side, I couldn't help feeling that she was the luckiest girl in the world. Not because she was about to marry Peter, the love of her life, but because she had everything. She was beautiful, she had wits, she had charm, her wedding was going to be the most perfect ever (I knew it would be a bit different, though she herself did not know it yet), and she was even loved by the most perfect guy to ever walk this earth.

I should've been happy for her, but I felt somewhat sad as I watched her smiling and walking proudly up to meet her groom. Could she, in any aspect, be less than perfect? I doubted it, and it haunted me. Then she noticed me among the rest of the guests and sent me a big smile. I smiled back, of course, though I didn't feel like it. How did she do that? She even had the energy to single out her friends and make them feel appreciated on a day like this? She truly was amazing, and I realized for the hundredth time in my life why she was hard competition.

Peter, Juliet's husband-to-be, and Mark, his best man and friend, were whispering to each other as Juliet walked up. As always. Not even at Peter's own wedding could they stop talking. Those two must've been worse than girls when it came to talking!

But the sight of Juliet made them shut up, if only for a while. Mark took forth his video camera and began filming. He always did, though we often told him not to. No one said anything today, though.

As everyone else watched Juliet, I watched Mark. To me it was easy to see that he was not filming the wedding. He was filming Juliet, and he was taking her in with every breath that he took all the while she walked up to Peter. I doubt anyone else noticed, but I had known Mark for so long now, and known about his secret too, that it was easy for me to tell that he was hurting. As he removed the video camera from his eye and switched it off, his forehead was contracted in a frown, and his eyes were full of pain.

It hurt me too. I hated to see that expression on the face of my best friend, and it was an expression I had seen more and more often over the past few years. And I could do nothing about it. He was in love with Juliet, but he couldn't make a move as she was Peter's, and Peter was his best friend.

And it hurt me even more because I hated the fact that Mark was in love with Juliet.

While the actual ceremony was going on I held my breath along with Mark. I couldn't see his face anymore, of course, but I knew he'd be holding his breath, hoping that Juliet would say no. I, on the other hand, held mine hoping that she would stick to 'I do', which she, of course, did.

I was somewhat relieved when she and Peter finally turned around to walk out of the church together, though the hurt in Mark's eyes could not be mistaken. He was standing up there in his velvet suit trying to look happy, but he looked miserable. He looked so good and ready to be cuddled, as always, but miserable! I'm glad that everybody looked at the married couple, because if they had looked at Mark at that very moment, his secret would've been revealed.

As Juliet and Peter walked back towards the exit to the tones of the church organ, voices began singing 'love, love, love'. Two big, white curtains were withdrawn in the upper back end of the church and a gospel choir appeared. The surprise on Juliet and Peter's faces was big, but they smiled happily and couldn't help laughing either. Peter turned around and looked at Mark, but Mark just shook his head with a smile telling Peter that it was none of his doing. Peter turned to Juliet and the gospel choir again, as a male singer appeared singing the lead vocal of _All You Need is Love_. It was easy to tell that the couple was thrilled as more and more people showed up playing different kinds of instruments, and I must say that I would've given a lot to have a surprise like that at my own wedding.

Mark turned to look at me, giving me the thumbs up and mouthing a 'thank you'. The idea had originally been mine, and together we had developed it and in the end Mark had fine-tuned it. I had had no idea it'd work this well in reality, but it sure did.

I smiled back at Mark letting him know he was welcome, and for the first time today he seemed happy. It made a small butterfly take off in my stomach and it flew around inside of me while Mark and I made for the hotel together. It lived on right until Mark let out a 'she looks really beautiful as a bride, doesn't she?' and furrowed his forehead right before we got out of the taxi.

---

The party was held in a big hotel on the bank of the Thames. When looking out of the big panorama windows that were two of the four walls of the hotel, you could see to the far bank of the river and beyond it. Looking to the side you'd see London, and once again I have to admit that the setting was perfect. As the day waned and the night took over, one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen in London was conjured up before me. All the lights of the city were reflected in the still water of the dark river, and it made me feel melancholy as I stood alone by the window, thinking of someone who was feeling at least as melancholy as I did.

I turned my head to take a look at Mark. He was sitting on a chair looking miserable as he had done all day. Juliet and Peter were dancing, and Mark was watching them a little too closely not to be noticed. Well, no, he was watching Juliet, of course, but the rest of the guests present couldn't tell the difference, of course.

He looked like someone who wanted to talk, and just when I turned around to walk over to him, a young waiter with a big smile showed up like out of no where.

"Another drink, my lovely lady?" He asked taking the empty glass I held in my hand and replacing it with a full one.

"Thank you." I replied with a smile that I know was more artificial than it needed to be. It was just that the waiter had blocked out Mark from my sight and I didn't really feel like him coming on to me, though God knows I could use a little love or just a flirt in my life.

"Another one?" The waiter asked with a hopeful smile and offered me another glass. "Or a strawberry?"

He took a strawberry from the plate that he brought with him and tried to put it into my mouth.

"No, thank you." I said and stepped a little away looking disgusted at him. Was he drunk or was he always like that?

"Do you want to dance?" He asked next, and I nearly spat out the mouthful of white wine that I had just taken.

"Look…" I said trying to be polite though I felt more like just ignoring the pathetic waiter.

"Colin!" He said obviously thinking that I was waiting for him to tell me his name as I hesitated.

"Look, Colin…" I said not wanting to make the situation even more awkward. "I don't really think you're supposed to dance tonight. You're the waiter, I'm a guest!"

I didn't mean to sound so harsh, but he began to annoy me. I mean, he was scarcely out of his teenage years and the hormones were obviously running wildly around in his body. Why would anyone hire someone like him to wait on their guests?

"Your wish is my command, my lovely lady!" He said with a bow which made him almost lose the plate he was carrying. At last he disappeared.

I looked back at Mark and noticed he was no longer sitting alone. A woman a little older than me had placed her chair next to his, and now she was addressing him. I had seen her before. I think she was a friend of Jamie's more than Peter and Juliet's, just like I was a friend of Mark's more than theirs. At least originally. We had all known each other for so long now that I considered them my friends as well as Mark's. And Jamie as well, though there were, sort of, two links between us.

I walked a little closer and heard how the woman, Sarah, asked Mark how long he had been in love. My eyes must've widened as I was surprised to find out that anybody knew. Then she went on and I realized she was talking about Peter. She thought Mark was in love with Peter! She thought….oh my goodness…she thought Mark was gay!

I couldn't help laughing as Mark tried to tell her that that was absolutely out of the question and that he was _not_ in love with Peter!

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind gays at all, but it was hilarious. Mark? Gay? No. Definitely not. Mark had been straight as long as I had known him, which was quite a long time.

---

We met in kindergarten about twenty years ago, I think. It was love at first sight though not the kind of love I came to feel for him later on. On my first day in the kindergarten a big bully stole my rubber boots so I couldn't go outside in the rain. Mark, who was much smaller than the other boy, went through the rain in his bare feet (as he had not had time to put on his own rubber boots), punched the boy in the stomach and brought back my boots. From that moment on he and I were always together and the relationship lasted all the way through basic school. We were what people would call 'inseparable', right until we began getting interested in the opposite sex. I was the first one to do so, since I, being a girl and all, was more mature than he. For a couple of years we both got new friends and new hobbies, though we were still pretty close as friends. Then Mark caught up with me on the maturity scale and we became as close as ever, talking about boyfriends and girlfriends, parents, school, and all other stuff that teenagers talk about.

At prom night in high school Mark asked me to go with him, because as he said, 'he'd never have the courage to talk to Amanda Adams, even if he _did_ screw up his courage and asked her to go, so he could as well go with someone that he felt comfortable about'. And that someone was, of course, me, as we were best friends. At that time I had no hopes for myself concerning Mark at all. We were only friends, and I kept telling him how stupid he was for not picking Amanda Adams. She was the most popular and beautiful girl in school, and I'm sure she would've said yes if Mark had asked her to go with him. He was sweet, smart, funny and very good-looking. I don't believe anyone would've said no.

But he didn't dare, and that's why he and I went together, and that's why he walked me home on the night of the prom. We had had a nice time, and we had had fun. We still had when walking home and the atmosphere was as good as it was ever going to get. We talked about anything and everything, and quite a lot about Amanda Adams. When we reached my home and it was time to say goodbye, Mark gave me a peck on the cheek. He had never done so before, but he did it as if it was the most natural thing to do.

I'm pretty sure it was never his intention and that he knew nothing about it, but it caused quite a turmoil inside of me. From that day on I knew I was in love with Mark, my best friend since kindergarten, but I never told him because I was too afraid I'd lose him if he found out. That was the worst thing that could ever happen.

The second worst thing that could happen was Mark falling in love for real. For years I felt "safe" as no girl could really attract his attention. Sure, he had girlfriends as I had boyfriends, but no serious relationship ever came of it, and I was content with being his best friend as long as he had no girlfriend. It sort of meant that I was the girl who was most dear to him in the world.

Well, at least Mark was _my_ best friend. I'm not sure if he considered me his best friend too, after he began playing soccer and met Peter. The two of them came quite close in no time, and I was often let down for Peter and lots of beer when there was soccer on TV. I guess it's only natural, but I hated it. He could've watched soccer with me, if he wanted to, but he obviously didn't. After a while, though, he seemed to have more time for me again, as Peter had found a girl. When we met the girl, Juliet, it didn't take Mark many minutes to fall in love with her, and it took me around the same amount of minutes to see it in his face. I hurt a lot because of it, but Mark was too much in love and a pain of his own to notice. I guess I'm glad he didn't notice, though the reason why hurt me more than anything.

Anyway, Juliet was a really nice girl, and no matter how hard I tried to hate her, I just couldn't. In no time she considered me one of her best friends, and she, Mark, Peter, and I often went out together. I would've loved it if it wasn't for the fact that Mark always either hurt or his eyes were filled with love for Juliet when we were together. In the end I began saying no whenever they wanted me to go anywhere, and after another while Mark did too. He told me everything about his love for Juliet, and I listened patiently, though I felt like screaming into his face that I couldn't take it anymore and didn't want to hear another word about her. I kept cool and tried to comfort him the best I could, though not the way I would've liked to.

At least his falling in love with Juliet brought one good thing with it. Though it was hard to always hear about her and talk about her, at least it brought us closer again. He turned to me whenever he was feeling down (which was quite often), and I think he began to consider me his best friend again. He did not hate Peter for marrying the girl that he loved, but, naturally, Peter had less time for Mark, and so he spent his extra time with me.

And there we were – two people in love with someone we couldn't have – suffering at an otherwise beautiful wedding. It was ridiculous, to be honest!

---

I walked over to Mark and Sarah after being lost in my own thoughts for a while. She got up from her chair and offered it to me.

"No, please stay." I said with a smile at her and a wave of my hand, but she insisted.

"I was going home anyway." She said and didn't sit down again. "I've been away from my brother too long already." She withdrew her cell phone from her pocket and began dialing a number.

I wasn't sure just what she was talking about, but then I remembered that Jamie had once told me something about her brother not being well mentally. Apparently she was the only one to take care of him, as their parents lived in America. Why she had taken her brother with her to England I didn't recall having heard anything about.

"Well, give your brother my best wishes, then." I said with another smile at Sarah, but she just smiled apologetically at me as she obviously got through to the person she was calling.

"Baby? Hi, it's me…" I heard before she left in quite a hurry.

Mark took his eyes off of Juliet and looked up at me from his chair with his back against the table.

"You're still here? I wondered where you had gone." He said and reached out for my hand to make me sit down.

"Yes, I'm still here… And you're gay!" I teased and sat down.

He gave a little laugh and tried to straighten the furrows in his forehead with his thumb and index finger.

"Be careful not to make them permanent!" I said and pretended to straighten the furrows as well.

Mark took my hand and looked at me with a sigh.

"I need a dance." He said and got up taking me with him. "No, I need a drink and _then_ a dance!"

"Don't tell me you want to dance with me to _this_ song!" I said and followed him to the bar. It was a very slow and romantic song, and I really didn't feel like dancing with Mark to a song like that. At least not when all he could think of was Juliet.

"God, no!" He said and got his drink. "It's a terrible song."

"And you'll put away your video camera?"

He smiled at me and emptied his drink in one draught. Then he put the video camera into its case and put it down on a table.

"It's officially put away!" He said and held up his glass for the bartender to fill it again.

Mark kept stealing glances at Juliet all the while we danced. It annoyed me as much as it hurt me, and in the end I decided to tell him so.

"You're not paying very much attention to your dance partner." I said and smiled at him teasingly.

He looked to the ceiling with a sigh and a small smile.

"No, I'm sorry." He said and looked at me. "I just…can't get her out of my head."

"I know the feeling." I muttered but regretted immediately. I didn't want him to start digging in it. I hadn't needed worry, though. He paid so little attention to me that he didn't even hear me!

"Mark! Honestly!" I said and gave him a gentle slap on the cheek. "You're not exactly making girls feel wanted or appreciated here!"

"Sorry." He said and looked at me again. "But…it's just you! You know I appreciate you and I know you don't want to feel wanted by me!" He gave a little laugh and put his hands on my back as we danced.

God, if he had only known!

As the night went on Mark went on drinking. I tried to make him stop a bit, but on the other hand…I was his friend, not his mother, and I knew he probably wanted to drink his brain out as much as I did. The difference between us tonight was that he did it, I didn't.

Right before Juliet and Peter were about to leave at midnight, Mark heaved his head up in his hand at the table that he was practically lying across. He had been half sitting on a chair, half lying on the table and drinking for a long time, and I had thought about bringing him home for quite a few hours already.

"I'm going to tell her!" He said and tried to sit up straight.

"Oh, no you're not!" I said and wasn't too worried. He was in no state as to get up and go talk to her.

"But I love her." He sobbed and luckily we were the only ones at that table at that moment.

"And you're very, very drunk." I said and padded his head.

"But I can't live without her!" He whined and made me look around to make sure no one heard. Not because they'd know what he was talking about, but because I was beginning to be a little embarrassed because of Mark.

"But you'll have to." I said, maybe not too kind. "Don't you think you'd better get home soon?"

"No, not until I've told her." He replied and made a movement as to get up.

"You're _not_ going to tell her!" I said and held him down.

"Yes, I am." He said and in spite of his drunkenness he was strong enough to shake my hand off and actually get up from the chair and table.

"Mark! No!" I said and got up with him. "You can't!"

"Why not? If I don't tell her now then I probably won't get the chance to ever do so!"

"No one says you ought to have that chance. She's married now. And don't you dare go spoil her and your best friend's big day by telling her just because you're drunk!" I scolded him and held on to his arm to prevent him from going anywhere.

"But…" He said and went out like a light falling into my arms.

"Somebody, help me!" I shouted and luckily people heard me through the loud music.

Peter, who had been on his way out to the wedding car with Juliet, came running to help me with a smile and a shake of his head.

"About time the lad got hammered!" He said and helped me get Mark outside and into a taxi.

"Thanks." I said and gave him a hug before getting into the taxi myself. "I hope you'll be very happy together."

"We will!" Peter said and gave me a big smile. Then he turned around to face his bride and the rest of the guests, who were waiting for Juliet to throw the bouquet.

"Wait!" Juliet shouted with a smile at me just before she threw the bouquet. Lots of women threw themselves around in order to catch the bouquet, but I didn't reach to see who caught it. Juliet threw her arms around me in a big hug and blocked my sight.

"Thank you so much for the surprise in the church!" She said and let go of me. "And tell Mark 'thank you' when he wakes up."

"I won't be there when he does." I said trying to give a little smile. Why did she have to like me and be so nice all the time, when all I wanted to do was dislike her?

"Then make sure he gets home safely!" She said and squeezed my hand a little.

"Yeah. Sure." I said a little impolitely, but she didn't notice. She went back to Peter and the two of them drove off in the night. Mark and I did too, though a lot less happy than the married couple.

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A/N: Hey again. Please let me know what you think by reviewing. Does anyone bother to read the second chapter? Or should I just give it up right away? Thanks for reading this far no matter what!


	2. Too Lost in You

A/N: Hello readers! Thanks for the reviews. I was thrilled to find out that people actually _do_ want to read Love Actually fanfictions. Just makes me want to finish this one even more.

This chapter may seem a little gloomy. The story won't continue being so sad, but I don't want to change Mark's mood from the actual film too much, and as the heroine is pretty much in the same situation as he is, her mood is, at times, quite low too.

Anyway, you may notice sooner or later how much I LOVE the soundtrack from the film. It shows a bit in this chapter. Hope you don't mind too much.

Does anybody ever read author notes? I was just wondering!

Read and review, please!

- Miss Sofie.

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**Chapter Two – Too Lost in You**

I walked down the street in happy expectation. I was to meet Mark for lunch at a café, and as I had only seen him once since the wedding (and only very briefly) I was looking very much forward to seeing him again. For some reason I felt sure that now that Juliet had married Peter, Mark would realize that he had to move on and so he would be "mine" again. I had told myself often the past two weeks that it was insane to hope that he would have forgotten about her just because of a ceremony, a couple of rings, and two little words from her and Peter, but it didn't help any. I kept hoping and my heart kept tricking my mind into believing that now everything would be fine. Finally everything would appear to my advantage!

I was almost freezing to death walking along the Thames in mid-December, and I pulled down my off-white cap to below my ears before sticking my hands deep into my pockets.

Nevertheless, I felt warm inside, and I smiled happily as I walked into the café, at which Mark was supposed to be waiting for me, and scanned the room for men at my age with somewhat curly, reddish brown hair and too deep wrinkles on their foreheads.

I found Mark at a table in the corner, looking out of the window and talking on his phone.

He noticed me when I came closer and gave a little wave with his hand, and I noticed him frowning the way I had gotten so used to over the years. It was his special troubled-Mark frown, and though I hated that he had reason to feel troubled, I loved that frown of his as I loved everything else about him.

"Okay, let's say…Thursday at my place?" I heard him say to the one on the phone while beckoning me to sit down. I did.

"Okay, fine." He said not sounding very sincere.

"I'm always nice!" He continued and it was easy to tell that he didn't want to have that conversation with whoever was on the phone.

"I'm always…" Something cut him off. "Hi. How was the honeymoon?"

Oh, great! It was Juliet. Probably not before, but definitely now. My smile faded in no time, and I'm glad Mark was closing his eyes in despair. Otherwise he would've noticed.

"So, what can I do for you?" I heard him say a lot less nice than I would've preferred him to if he had been talking to me.

"I'm sorry."

About what? What was Mark sorry about?

"Ah, no. To be honest, I didn't really…you know…"

Silence. At least from Mark. In spite of the radio playing some weird Christmas song or another in the café, I could hear Juliet's voice from Mark's phone. I couldn't hear what she said, though, as her voice was rather thin and mouse-like from the distance.

"Okay, I'll have a look. But to be honest, I'm pretty sure I wiped it, so don't get any hopes up." Mark said obviously wanting to end the conversation. "Must go."

Finally he hung up.

"Hi Anna." He said with a frown and didn't reach over the table to give me a peck on the cheek as he had made a habit lately.

"Hey." I said trying to sound cheerful, though there was no way I could avoid asking. He'd tell me anyway. "What was that all about?"

"Juliet. She wanted to borrow my video tape from the wedding. Their own was a different colour or something." He put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes for a while. I heard how he breathed in before he opened them again and continued. "It's all of her. The entire tape."

"Well, it's easy, then." I tried still sounding as positive as possible. "Don't show her."

He looked up and a small smile crept onto his face.

"You should know me better than that by now. I'd never risk letting her know!"

"You were more than willing to risk it at the wedding!" I teased trying to break the somewhat gloomy atmosphere.

"What would I have done without you?" He asked after just looking at me for a while, finally giving me a genuine smile. "Always there to help me out. I wonder how you got that patient. It sure doesn't run in the family!"

I knew exactly what he was talking about. He had known my family since we were both very young, and my parents had never been very patient with neither him nor me whenever we'd do something that we knew we weren't supposed to be doing – such as stealing all the strawberries from our neighbour's strawberry bed, right before she was to make jam of them, or shave the tale of our cat so he looked diseased for months.

"Well, someday I'll get back at you." I said and looked at a big advertisement outside the window. It was that singer, Billy Mack or something, and his female, Christmas clad dancers in the background. Well, 'clad' was discussable.

I wanted to tell Mark that someday I'd be weeping over some guy and I'd come to him for comfort 24/7, but I was afraid he'd take it the wrong way. If it'd make him think I was tired of hearing about Juliet (which I was), it might withdraw him from me too, and that was not supposed to happen. So I kept quiet.

"Anyway, Anna, I've completely forgot to ask how you've been doing because I've been so preoccupied with Juliet." Mark said and surprised me comfortingly nicely. "Any romance in your life lately?"

"Ah, no." I said and turned the menu between my fingers. "I haven't had time to think of that." I lied. "Do you happen to have any wealthy and good-looking single friends who'll be willing to go out with a disturbed girl like me?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure she's your type!" Mark said and sent me a smile that made my insides contract. In the good way.

"Come on!" I complained and threw the menu at him. "I'm not the one drooling over my best friend at his own wedding!"

I think my cheeks turned a little pink when realizing that apart from the 'at his own wedding' part, it could've been me. It made me take off my cap and scarf pretending that it was really hot in the café, and I think Mark bought it. He had no suspicion whatsoever, so why wouldn't he?

"You know very well who I was looking at!" He said and threw the menu back at me. "Besides, I wasn't drooling!"

I threatened with throwing back the menu again, but instead I placed it in its clip on the table.

"Right. So, what about the rich, handsome, single friends of yours?" I changed back the topic. "Men preferred. I'm not desperate."

"Yet!"

"You know, Mark, coming from you I really can't take that seriously!" I smiled unbuttoning my coat. It _was_ getting hot in there.

"Nah, you're not supposed to. Anyway, why don't we go out tomorrow night? You and I haven't been out for ages, and I'm sure I can find a couple of guys who'll be more than willing to spend a few drinks on you…"

"Mark!" I complained. "_They_ are not supposed to be desperate, either!"

"Then what do you want me to do?" He teased causing me to take the menu from its holder and throw it at him again.

"You…!" I said but couldn't call him any names when he was being so charming. Instead I chose to take his offer. "Alright, let's go out tomorrow night. I could really use a night of drinking my brains out."

"Deal!" Mark said and ended the conversation by beckoning a waitress to come over.

---

Need I say that I looked very much forward to going out on that Friday night? I was about to have a whole night in Mark's company, and though it was not the kind of night that I had often fantasized about, it was still a night on which Mark would be mine entirely. Well, okay, if he wanted to take a girl home with him, I couldn't prevent him from doing so, of course, but I doubted that that would be the issue, and so I dressed up the best I could – perhaps a little less proper than actually necessary – and though he would not know, of course, it felt good to be doing it for him.

"You look sweet tonight, Anna." Mark said and gave me a kiss on the cheek before letting me into his apartment. "I'm almost ready. Want a beer? I've got a couple or three in the fridge, I think."

Sweet? I looked sweet? Wasn't that something little girls were supposed to do?

"Yeah. Thanks." I said and went to the kitchen. I knew Mark's apartment just as well as I knew my own, and for a moment I couldn't help stopping and staring at the small, white paper heart with yellow lines where it had been supposed to be cut, lying on the windowsill. I had cut it for him when we were only seven years old, and he still kept it. Maybe that was why I felt so much at home in his kitchen. The paper heart had been there as long as he had lived in the apartment, lying on the same spot for years. He probably hadn't even dusted it. He probably didn't even know it was there!

"Ah, my friendship heart!" I heard Mark's voice right behind me. I turned around rather startled, as I hadn't heard him coming. He was pulling a t-shirt over his head, and the action made his eu de cologne flow through the air and tease my nostrils.

Oh, Goodness! I thought and turned around again as I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. The smell _and _the sight of his naked chest were just too much for me to take!

"I can't believe you still keep it." I said trying to focus on what he had just said.

"I could never throw _that_ away!" He said and opened the refrigerator. "Want a beer or not?"

---

We met with a couple of young men that Mark knew from the gallery, in which he worked. He wanted to be an artist himself, but so far he hadn't made enough money on his paintings to actually live on it, and so he had a full time job at a gallery besides painting at home.

I must say he had done well in finding handsome, young men in only one day's time, and the thing that thrilled me the most was the fact that he had done it for me. Oh, and the fact that he hadn't mentioned Juliet a single time yet when we reached our regular night club, was quite thrilling as well. It was a long time since he had been able to leave the topic for more than two hours, but tonight would be different, it seemed.

I felt better than I had done in a long time, and I even resisted from passing remarks about the hideous Christmas decorations at the night club, though they practically screamed for remarks. I was, to tell the truth, more agreeable than I had been in a long time, and it did the trick. Even Mark noticed, though he didn't know the reason why, of course.

Anyway, we were talking and having fun all four of us (three handsome guys and me – a love sick female) and we were drinking quite a lot of beer. Once in a while, though, I _did_ notice Mark looking a little gloomy, but one couldn't exactly expect him to feel utterly happy so shortly afterwards Juliet and Peter's wedding, right? And whenever I'd look at him when he had that gloomy expression on his face, he would send me a big, reassuring smile and whisper to me that either Paul or Matt would be just my type and that he noticed one of them looking at me just now. That was the only times when I didn't feel quite as well as I looked. Mark was seriously trying to set me up with one of them, and yes, they were both very sweet and good-looking, but they were not…Mark!

As the night went on and we consumed more and more beers, everyone became more outgoing and I do believe that both Paul and Matt were flirting with me quite obviously.

"Honestly…" I told Mark in a whisper when the two others were discussing the bartender and her female attributes. "I told you not to find anyone desperate!"

"Do you realize how hard that is?" He replied leaning back in the couch. I wanted to put my arm around him and kiss his ear, but in spite of the fact that I was beginning to feel a bit drunk, I resisted the temptation.

"Why?"

"They'd have to be really desperate to go out with…"

"Don't you dare…!" I said and threatened with pouring out his beer over him.

"…any friend of mine!" He finished his sentence with a laugh.

I shook my head and thought that he had to be more drunk than I. He looked at me with that fond expression on his face that always made me want to eat him, but – again – I resisted the temptation. I tried to focus on something else and started listening to the music. They played that old song by Wet Wet Wet – _Love is All Around_, I think – only they had changed it to '_Christmas is All Around_'. How lame was that? But…the melody was still great, and so I asked Mark to dance.

"No." He said and smiled at me.

"Come on, Mark!" I complained. "Just this one dance. Please!"

"No! Definitely _not_!"

"Maa-aark!" I said sounding much younger than I was and giving him my best puppy-dog eyes.

"I'll dance with you." Paul interrupted and made me send Mark a pretended cold stare.

"Paul'll dance with you!" The latter said with a big smile and pushed me in Paul's direction. I rolled my eyes at him when the others couldn't see it, but took the hand that Paul held out and followed him to the dance floor.

The song was rather slow, and so Paul put his hands on my back wanting to dance closely with me. I didn't know what to do or where to look (it was a long time since I had danced with anyone but Mark), and so I felt quite awkward dancing with Paul. I had to do something to make the situation less awkward.

"So, what do you think of this new version of _Love is All Around_?" I asked trying to break the silence between us.

"It's okay, I think. Once you get used to it." Paul replied not taking his eyes off of my lips. "It's Billy Mack's come-back single, isn't it?"

"I don't know, to be honest." I said and tried not to look at his lips. I have to admit that they looked tasty. And Paul, in general, wasn't bad at all. Oh no! I had had too much to drink already.

"You don't?" He more stated indifferently than asked still hypnotized by my lips. Don't ask me how I noticed, because I was pretty much lost in his as well his as well. The DJ switched songs and an even slower song floated out into the christmassy room. I didn't know it, but I liked it instantly. I've always had a thing for sad ballads, and this was one. The chorus went something like '_Baby, I'm too lost in you, caught in you, lost in everything about you…_', and for a moment I did feel lost…in Paul…in Mark…in Paul…The thoughts ran wildly around in my head as Paul moved a little closer, moving his hands a little up my back. My top was bare-backed, and so I felt small sensations inside of me as his hands touched my skin.

"You look so beautiful." He whispered, his breath tickling my ear, and drunk as I was I fell for it. He put a hand around my neck and bent down to kiss me and I closed me eyes and let him. It felt so good, finally, to be kissed again that I began to think that maybe this could really lead somewhere. Paul was really nice and agreeable, and maybe – just maybe – this was the way to get over Mark. As I thought of Mark I opened my eyes to take a look at him. The sight that met me was really cruel to the eye. He was still sitting by the table, but he was looking the most miserable he had done all night. So miserable that even _I_ couldn't help but frown. Matt had obviously left to go get another beer or something, and Mark was all alone with no one to talk to, and he looked as if he could use someone who'd listen. He looked lost.

"I'm sorry." I broke the kiss with Paul and got out of his arms. What was I doing anyway? Kissing with a guy I barely knew when Mark needed me?

"Anna…!" Paul complained in surprise as I left the dance floor, but I didn't turn back.

Mark looked up at me with those really sad eyes of his that could make my whole world fall down. He didn't even _try_ to give a smile. He just looked up at me.

"She knows." He said as I sat down next to him. "Juliet knows."

"Knows what?" I asked taking his hand and squeezing it a bit. "Not that you…" I couldn't say the words.

"Yes." He nodded and didn't make as to say anything further.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked not wanting to hear about it. I _really_ didn't want to hear about it.

"There's not much to say." He said and I sighed with relief. Thank God! – Then there wouldn't be much to say about it either. "She came over this morning. To see the video tape."

"And you let her?" I exclaimed a little louder than intended.

"No, but…you know Juliet."

"What do you mean?"

"She won't take 'no' for an answer, and in spite of all my made-up excuses she walked in and found it on the shelf."

"Oh my…" I said and padded Mark's arm comfortingly.

"And…and I could do nothing but watch while she watched the tape." He looked in front of him, but I don't think he was really looking at anything. "It was so humiliating, and Anna, when she first came, she practically begged me to be her friend. She even brought me a pie to make up for whatever she had done wrong. She thought I hated her!"

He buried his face in his hands and I put my hand on his back to comfort him.

"Well, you haven't exactly given her reason to believe otherwise lately." I said and regretted the sound of it instantly. I couldn't' take it back now, though.

"I know, but Anna, it hurt so much to hear her beg for my friendship and…I just can't…I can't…be friendly when… Oh God!"

Mark wasn't crying, he was not the sort of guy to cry, but he _was_ drunk and I was afraid that he'd begin sobbing soon anyway.

"Look at the bright side…" I tried. "…At least you'll soon know for sure if you ever had a chance."

"Anna, I've _tried_ not to love her. I've _tried_ to stay away from her to make the feeling go away, but…" He ignored my attempt at cheering him up.

"Maybe it'll be easier now that she knows. If she stays with Peter – and Mark, I'm not trying to be cruel, only realistic, but I really think she will – you'll know that you'll never have a chance and it'll be a lot easier than not knowing what to think." I said not sure whether it'd help or make the matter worse.

Mark sat up straight again removing his face from his hands.

"Yeah. You're right." He said and pulled me close giving my cheek a kiss. "I really don't know what I'd do without you."

I sighed and felt a little shaken. He loved me, I knew that, but not the way _I_ loved _him_.

I got up to get four more beers. Two for me and two for Mark. I thought we both sort of needed it. The alcohol, I mean.

Paul and Matt had returned, but Paul didn't look too much at me. I can't blame him. I didn't exactly treat him well back there on the dance floor.

Matt, who hadn't noticed anything, kept trying to flirt with me, but he had quite a hard time doing so, as I was far from entertaining. Mark got up to fetch the next four beers, and so we went on until we couldn't consume anymore alcohol. We _did_ drink our brains out, just as we had planned to, and I'm not sure how we got home that night.

* * *

_Too Lost In You – by Sugababes___

_You look into my eyes  
I go out of my mind  
I can't see anything  
'Cause this love's got me blind  
I can't help myself  
I can't break the spell  
I can't even try  
  
I'm in over my head  
You got under my skin  
I got no strength at all  
In the state that I'm in  
  
And my knees are weak  
And my mouth can't speak  
Fell too far this time  
  
Chorus:_

_Baby, I'm too lost in you   
Caught in you   
Lost in everything about you   
So deep, I can't sleep   
I can't think   
I just think about the things that you do (you do)  
I'm too lost in you   
(Too lost in you)   
  
Ooh  
Well you whispered to me  
And I shiver inside  
You undo me and move me  
In ways undefined  
And you're all I see  
And you're all I need  
Help me baby (help me baby)  
Help me baby (help me now)  
  
'Cause I'm slipping away  
Like the sand to the tide  
Flowing into your arms  
Falling into your eyes  
If you get too near  
I might disappear  
I might lose my mind  
  
Chorus:_

_Baby, I'm too lost in you   
Caught in you   
Lost in everything about you   
So deep, I can't sleep   
I can't think   
I just think about the things that you do (you do)   
I'm too lost in you   
(Too lost in you)   
  
I'm going crazy with love for you baby  
(I can't eat and I can't sleep)  
I'm going down like a stone in the sea  
Yeah, no one can rescue me  
(No one can rescue me)  
  
Oooh, my baby  
Oooh, baby, baby  
  
Chorus:_

_B__aby, I'm too lost in you   
Caught in you   
Lost in everything about you   
So deep, I can't sleep   
I can't think   
I just think about the things that you do (you do)  
I'm too lost in you   
  
I'm lost in you  
I'm lost in you  
I'm lost in everything about you   
So deep (so deep), I can't sleep   
I can't think   
I just think about the things that you do (you do)  
I'm too lost in you   
(Too lost in you) _

* * *

A/N: _Too Lost in You_ is by Sugababes and in no way my property. _Christmas is All Around_ was originally by Wet Wet Wet (Or…did someone else perform it years before they did and I just don't remember who? At least I know it was written by Reg Presley. Just don't know if he was in Wet Wet Wet.) and called _Love is All Around_, and it is in no way my property either.


	3. A Glimmer of Hope

A/N: Hello there. Thanks for your reviews. As always, I'm grateful for each and every one of them!

I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Not such a great way to start a fanfiction, eh? I'm just rather busy at the moment. I've been working overtime quite a lot the past weeks, and it may not get better the next couple of weeks, either. I _shall_ continue and finish this story, though, as I haven't felt this inspired in ages and I know exactly what's going to happen until the end (the end included). That's a real first for me!

Anyway, I won't bother you by writing a long, boring author note, so…enjoy reading, and _do_ review!

Miss Sofie.

* * *

**Chapter Three – A glimmer of Hope**

I massaged my temples with a moan, but it only made the throbbing in my head grow stronger. I kept my eyes closed and thought that if only I could fall asleep again, then the head-ache would forget about me and leave me alone, but that did not happen. The pain only felt stronger after a few minutes, and that's when I chose to open my eyes.

I knew instantly that I was not in my bedroom. It was dark, but the smell in the room was nothing like the one in my own bed room. I turned my head to take a look around, and in the dark I could just make out the features of a man lying next to me.

Oh my God! Had I left the bar with Paul? Had we gone to his place? Had we…?

But the man lying next to me turned a little in his sleep, and as he did so, familiar eu de cologne reached my nostrils.

"Mark!" I exclaimed in a whisper and felt shaken. Immediately, I looked down myself and touched my chest and my legs. Thank God! I was still wearing my clothes! Mark and I hadn't done anything we weren't supposed to do.

To tell the truth it disappointed me a bit. Only for a second or so, but it was long enough to make me feel embarrassed too. I wasn't supposed to have those kind of thoughts with Mark lying so close to me!

I lifted the quilt carefully as not to wake him up and crept out from the comfortable warmth beneath it. I needed something to take away the pain in my head, and I needed to calm my breathing a bit too. Lying close to Mark didn't exactly make me breathe easy.

I tiptoed to the kitchen and hurt my little toe on the corner of a floor cupboard, and my loud exclamations and my swearing and cursing were sure to wake up Mark. He must've been quite smashed, because no sound was heard from the bed room after all.

I searched for the medicine locker for a while until I got the brilliant idea of switching on the light. Then it only took me about ten seconds to find the small glass with aspirins, and another ten seconds later they were downed with a glass of water. I filled the glass again and brought it back with me, switching off the light again and hurting my toe on the corner of the opposite cupboard. I swore loudly again, but Mark still didn't sound alive.

I felt a little uncomfortable about lying so close to him when we were not together as a couple, so a second thought made me go to the living room and occupy the couch instead. The painkillers soon mended my poor head a bit, and after a while I dozed off to sleep again.

---

"You've already been up?" It was Mark. He came into the living room with a glass of water in his hand.

"How can you tell?" I asked screwing up my eyes. He had turned on the light and it was hurting my eyes.

"You've already got some water." He stated and placed the glass he was carrying next to the glass I had placed on the table earlier in the morning.

I took a gulp of water instead of replying.

"You know, I could've sworn that I fell asleep with you lying next to me." He said with a small smile at me. "Too much beer, I guess. Must've been dreaming."

"No, I _did_ fall asleep in your bed." I admitted and feared that I would begin blushing. It really wasn't such a great time for that.

"You did? What made you leave? There's plenty of space for two."

I could tell from the look in his eyes that he just didn't get it _at_ _all_. He obviously thought sleeping in the same bed the most natural thing to do because we were friends. Close friends. I should've been glad that he didn't understand why I had moved, but I could only feel disappointed.

"You snored." I lied taking the easy way out.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. I didn't know."

"You've slept alone for too long." I teased, knowing that he wouldn't take it the way it was really meant. "There's been no one to tell you that you snore."

"Yes. I have been lonely for too long. Yeah. I have." He said, suddenly sounding far too melancholy for my liking. That had _not_ been my intention with that remark.

"Come on! Don't be so serious!" I tried, sounding as cheerful as I could. Anything to make him feel less sad about the Juliet-thing.

"You're right." He said and drew the curtains aside. "As always, you're right, Anna."

"Well, if you believe so then you'll agree when I say that we could use some breakfast?"

"Of course. Naturally. _Obviously_. I'm starved!"

I shook my head and gave a little snort as I got up. Mark could be really weird at times. But I loved him all the same.

---

"So what about you and Paul?" Mark asked squashing almost half a croissant into his mouth. We were having breakfast at a small café not far from his home.

"What about us?" I said avoiding looking at him.

"What do you think?" He asked with a small laugh and probably a roll of his eyes, too.

"I don't know!" I replied and looked at him with the most innocent expression I was able to conjure up.

"Oh, come on, Anna!" Mark complained. How he was able to speak so I could understand it with his mouth full off croissant, I don't know. It must be a guy thing. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. I saw you kissing on the dance floor."

"Yes, and that was the only place in which you saw us kiss each other."

"Yes, but it doesn't mean that you didn't kiss when I didn't see you." He teased.

"It actually does!" I said buttering my second croissant.

"Well…?"

"Well _what_?"

"Will it be the only time…"

"Most definitely!"

"Why? He's a nice guy, isn't he?"

"Yes, but…"

"And he liked you. Matt did too."

"Yes, but…" I said hoping that he would cut me off again.

"But what?"

"Ehm…" I didn't really know. Mark was right. Paul was a really nice guy. It was obvious that he had liked me, and I had liked him too, but…

"But _what_?" Mark asked impatiently.

"He's just…not my type." I said hoping it would be enough.

"Anna, I know what your type is like, and Paul is _exactly_ your type!"

"Well…maybe…it just didn't feel right." I tried, wanting to leave the topic behind. To tell the truth I'd rather talk about Juliet than about Paul. And that's not something that happened to me very often.

"What didn't? Was he a bad kisser?"

"Mark!" I complained, blushing like a school girl. I wouldn't have done so if any of my female friends had asked me that question, but Mark wasn't a female friend. He was _the_ friend.

"What? I'm just asking." Mark replied innocently. He knew I couldn't' take it.

"Alright, so he was good at it, but it's really none of your business!" I finally admitted a little too fast to sound indifferent.

"And…once again you're right, but I made you tell me anyway!" He replied with a satisfied smile and a bite of his third croissant.

"Anyway, as far as Paul and I are concerned…don't expect to see us kiss again. Ever again. I don't really think he appreciated the way I left him on the dance floor to go get drunk with you!" I held my breath until I had seen Mark's reaction to my confession.

"Nah, you're probably right." He said and smiled at his croissant. "Paul's not the sort of man who'll forgive that. But apart from that I think he's…"

"Move on, please. We need a change of topics!" I cut off his sentence. It was enough now.

To my great relief Paul wasn't mentioned again between us that day. Neither was Juliet. Actually, the rest of our time at the café was a really nice and pleasant one, and for a while I was able to forget about my misery. It almost felt as if Mark and I were together, breakfasting like any other couple. Almost. There was the tiny detail about Mark not feeling the same way as I did, but apart from that my heart was able to make me believe that he was mine. Stupid, stupid heart!

"I'll see you soon." Mark said and touched my arm as he kissed my cheek. A moment later he was on his way down the street, away from the café.

"Oh, by the way…" He said stopping and turning around to face me. "I completely forgot to tell you. Mia's boss is throwing a Christmas party next Saturday."

"Oh." I said a little disappointed. What had that got to do with me? Or with Mark?

"It's at the gallery. I thought you might want to come."

"Oh!" I said in realization. That's what it had got to do with me. With us. No, with Mark.

"Say yes, please? I really don't want to go alone." Mark begged. The frown was back on his forehead.

"Uh…" I said trying not to stare rudely at him. For a moment I was rather lost in him. The air outside was so cold that his breath came out like small clouds of mist. It was hypnotizing.

"Please?"

"I don't know, Mark…" I began. I had never liked Mark's friend Mia much, and I wasn't sure that I'd like to go to a party with her colleagues. What if they were all just like her? "You won't be alone. You'll have Mia there."

"No, not really." He replied with a pleading look at me. "She'll be busy trying to bed her boss, and I really don't feel like observing _that_ all night!"

"What?!" I exclaimed at the revelation about Mia. "Are you joking? Her boss?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. That's Mia. So please come?"

I hesitated.

"Oh, and you'll get to meet the new prime minister's sister. If _that's_ not something…!" He said with a smile and a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Oh, now _that_ I can't miss!" I replied the same way and hopped a bit on the spot to keep warm. Mark moved a little closer putting his hands on my arms. He tried to warm me a bit by massaging my arms on the outside of my coat, and I couldn't help smiling at his somewhat pathetic attempt.

"Please come to the party, Anna." He said seriously and looked me in the eyes. I almost gave in. "Won't you _please_ come? For me?"

Alright, I gave in!

"Sure, I'll come." I sighed and rolled my eyes. "But you owe me one, then."

"Thank you. I love you!" He said and gave me another peck on the cheek. Before I had a chance to reply (not that I _had_ any reply (not one that I'd reveal, anyway)), he had let go of me and started walking down the street again.

"I love you too." I whispered closing my eyes. Then I opened them again and shook my head at myself. I was being pathetic!

---

"Anna?"

"Yes, it's me." I replied. Why did people always ask if _I_ was the one to answer my phone? Just because I said 'hello' instead of saying my name. Who did they expect to be on the line anyway?

"Hi, it's Juliet."

"Oh, hi Juliet." I replied trying to sound as if it was good to talk to her again.

"What are you doing today?"

"Ehm…Mark and I are going to go find Christmas trees together. Why?" I said well-knowing that we wouldn't be going out to find trees until late in the afternoon.

"That won't take all day, will it?"

"Ehm…no. I guess not."

"Have you bought all of your Christmas presents yet?"

"Ehm…no. Why?" (Yes, my vocabulary had suddenly been reduced to less than 20 words.)

"'Cause I still need to buy a few gifts and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."

"Ehm…I don't know…" I said and hesitated. I knew perfectly well. I wouldn't like to. But I couldn't really tell her _that_, could I?

"Come on, Anna! It'll be fun. I promise. And I'll buy you lunch!"

"But Mark and I…"

"…are going to go find Christmas trees. Isn't Mark at work today?"

Of course he was. Darn, now _that_ excuse wouldn't work anymore.

"He is? How strange. I thought that…but maybe I was wrong." I tried, and Juliet was kind enough to pretend that she believed me.

"So, what do you say? It's been so long since you and I have had time to be together. I know it's my fault, but it's really only because of the wedding. I promise it'll be better from now on…"

Was she apologizing? What for? She had done nothing wrong. If anyone had, I would be the one. I hadn't exactly wanted to spend time with her, and still she blamed herself and was as kind to me as anyone could be.

"Look, Juliet…" I began but she cut me off.

"Please, Anna?" She begged. Her voice was suddenly very thin and insecure. "I need to talk to you."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had a feeling of what she wanted to talk to me about, and I wasn't sure I could take that conversation with her. _Her_ of all people.

"Alright. Of course I'll go shopping with you." I said trying to sound as if I were looking forward to it. "I just thought that Mark and I…"

"Yes, I know." She replied, her voice back to normal. "Thanks, I'll be looking forward to it. "

"So, when and where do we meet?" I asked a little too fiercely, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Let's say 11 o' clock outside the shopping centre?"

"Alright, I'll see you then."

"Okay. Bye."

I don't know if she reached to hear me saying 'bye' as well, as I hung up so quickly that the word may have been lost. A little rude, maybe, but it was not exactly easy for me to talk to her and be friendly. I suppose it was just as difficult for me to be nice to her as it was for Mark, though we had our diverse reasons for behaving alike.

---

Juliet's bright smile met me right before she gave me a big hug when we met at the shopping centre. I hugged her back, though surprised at the intensity of her hug. She was definitely not feeling as well as her smile was trying to trick me into believing.

"It's so good to see you again." She said and let go of me.

"You too." I replied and meant it though I didn't want to. "How are you?"

Her eyes flickered for a moment and I added: "How's married life?"

She smiled and looked at me again. It was obviously a question that she was happy to answer.

"It's good. It's great, actually. I've never been happier than I am now." She said, and I do believe that she meant it. Her eyes were shining with love, and there was no doubt that the love was for her husband. I sighed with relief, though I hadn't really believed that Mark's revelation would've changed her feelings anyway. She and Peter were the perfect couple and I doubted anything could ever come between them.

"But, Anna, I need your advice on something…" She began as she took my arm and we walked inside the centre.

Oh, no. Here it comes! I thought and tried to stay as unaffected as possible.

"I need your help to find the perfect gift for Mark. I want to thank him properly for the surprise at the wedding, and no one knows him better than you do."

Was that it? Was that what she needed to talk to me about? I couldn't help smiling as we walked on.

"Oh, really? Is that it? I thought that you…" I stopped myself before saying too much, but Juliet eyed me suspiciously. She didn't say anything, though.

"Has he told you what he wants for Christmas yet? I mean, the two of you are so close. You _do_ buy each other gifts, don't you?"

"Yes. Yes, of course." I said, for a moment lost in my own thoughts. "He…eh…he wants a new scent, I think."

It wasn't like it was anything really personal, but that was okay with me. I didn't want his present from Juliet to be personal.

"A scent? Is that all?"

"Well, it's all I remember." I said telling the truth. It _had_ been on his list, and apart from that I could only remember what I had already bought for him. "Apart from the new easel I bought him myself. And the paintbrushes."

"Oh. Then it's going to be a scent. Do you know which ones he likes?"

I rolled my eyes and gave a little laugh.

"Juliet, just…find something. He's not that difficult. He'll love whatever you'll give him!" I said with a smile and cursed myself a moment later for adding the last part.

"He really will, won't he?" Juliet asked quietly. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts for a moment, but then she looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Won't you help me find one anyway? I'd feel better knowing that you had chosen it for me."

"Juliet…" I said wanting to say no, but then I gave in. There was really no reason for me to be so unfriendly towards her. "Alright, I'll find one."

We had lunch after finding a gift box with my favourite male scent for Mark. I know I shouldn't have chosen one I liked so much, but I couldn't help it. Mark would become even more irresistible if he chose to wear it, and it would probably be fatal for me. I chose not to worry too much about it. I had found him irresistible for years now, and the scent probably wouldn't make a difference anyway. At least that was my excuse for finding the scent that Mark had been wearing years ago when he had walked me home after the prom.

"Anna, have you talked to Mark lately?" Juliet said after a while of talking about nothing in particular. I was about to stuff another portion of salad into my mouth, but I put down my fork and looked at Juliet instead. She looked rather sad and somewhat vulnerable.

"I talk to him daily. Why?" I said and decided to be a friend and listen to whatever she had to say.

"How is he doing?" She avoided looking at me.

"He's doing okay, I think." I replied and eyed her suspiciously.

"Oh. That's good." She said and looked at me again. She seemed relieved.

"Juliet…?" I asked well-knowing what she wanted to discuss. I suddenly felt the urge to talk to her about it too. I needed to know. I needed to be sure.

"You know, don't you?" She asked and held her breath.

"I know." I replied and watched how she took a deep, relieved breath.

"So, how is he doing? I mean, now that you know what I'm talking about?"

"I already knew when I answered your question before."

"Which means…?"

"He's doing okay. He's hurt, of course, but no more than he's been since the first time Peter introduced you to us."

"Oh my…!" Juliet exclaimed and looked at her plate. "It's been that long?"

"Mm-hm." I said and wanted her to say that she could never ever fall for someone like Mark.

"But…but isn't there anything we can do about it?"

"You _could_ start treating him like he was some sort of trash." I suggested with a small smile.

"I could never do that." Juliet replied seriously. She hadn't seen me smile as she was still inspecting the food on her plate.

"Who could?" I said lost in my own thoughts. I hadn't meant to say it aloud, but Juliet heard, so I must've.

"That's why you never liked me much, isn't it?" She said with realization written all over her face.

"What? I've always liked you!" I complained but looked away. I had. I just hadn't wanted to.

"You're in love with Mark!" She smiled at me as I looked up, and I couldn't tell whether it was a happy or a victorious smile.

"What?!" I exclaimed feeling the colour rise in my cheeks. "I'm not! Juliet, that's ridiculous! He's my best friend, and you know that!"

"You two are _so_ alike! I've finally figured out why you never liked me, and your reasons are so similar! That is good news, Anna!" Juliet's mood had changed from low to quite high in less than a minute, and it was a real effort not to rejoice.

"I really don't know where you get that from!" I said and looked out of the window. I didn't know where else to look. A small smile kept playing around my mouth, though I tried hard not to let it. "I'm not in l… Mark and I are just friends."

Juliet looked at me with an amused expression on her face, and it was obvious that she did not believe me. I thought about confessing, but I was afraid that she would try her best to make the two of us get together, and I really didn't want that to happen, though I did feel like talking to someone about my love for Mark.

"Whatever." Juliet finally said and rolled her eyes.

I took my fork again and put the salad into my mouth. I couldn't help smiling the rest of the time we spent in the café.

---

I was happier than I had been in a long time when I walked down the street later that day. I was alone, but I was to meet Mark at his place. What made me happy, though, was the fact that now I knew for sure that Juliet didn't return Mark's feelings.

I watched how the lights were switched on in the festoons as the dark grew around me, and the big plastic hearts above me shone red in the white frost that lay all over the street. Could the world _be_ more beautiful?

"What are you thinking about?" A voice reached me, and so did a couple of arms that were thrown around me from behind.

"Mark!" I exclaimed happily and felt like kissing him. I didn't. He removed his arms again and walked next to me to his car.

"Ready?" He asked and opened the door in his side of the car.

"Yup." I replied and got in as well.

I thought about telling Mark about my conversation with Juliet while we drove, but I was afraid to say too much. Besides, I felt so happy that I didn't want to spoil it by talking about Juliet. I chose not to mention it yet. Maybe tomorrow, but not today or tonight.

We had a great time finding the perfect Christmas trees, and once again it felt almost as if we were a couple. Finding Christmas trees was something families did, wasn't it? Well, we weren't a family, but I could easily imagine us in the same spot, doing the same thing, with a couple of small children around us. I stared at Mark lost in my thoughts and was grateful for the dark and the frost as he noticed. The dark prevented him from seeing my blush, and if it not, the frost could as well have made my cheeks go pink.

"What?" He asked with a puzzled look at me, dragging a tree behind him.

"Nothing." I replied with a happy smile and helped him lift the tree to the roof of his car. This was what life was supposed to be like!

I didn't realize I had said it out loud, until he stood still and looked at me.

"Yeah, It really is, isn't it?" He said with a 'you're-right-again-look' at me and took off his gloves to get into the car.

Maybe – just maybe – Juliet had not been on his mind when he said that.

* * *

A/N: _Aspirin_ is in no way my property. I don't know whose it is, but it's not mine. Oh, and _Love is All Around_ from chapter two is by the Troggs. Thanks to…someone anonymous…for that piece of information!


	4. Enough

A/N: Hello again and sorry a thousand times for the very late update! I haven't put aside this story – not at all – but I've been sooo busy lately. My summer holidays just began, so – hopefully – I'll be updating more frequently the next couple of weeks. It's not a promise, but I _do_ promise to do my best!

Anyway, as always… Thanks to everyone who's reviewed. It's so nice to know that you actually like this story. Oh, which reminds me… I'm sorry for the abuse of the word 'actually'. I can't help it. They do it in the movie, too!

Okay, so on to chapter four…

Miss Sofie.

* * *

**Chapter Four - Enough**

I attended the Christmas party of Mia and her colleagues with mixed feelings. I was used to being at the gallery, but always with Mark and almost always in broad daylight. This night the lights had been dimmed, colourful disco lights were the only ones to shine, and there was music. Loud music. And lots of people I didn't know. Lots of drunken people. I came a little late, and so everyone seemed to be drunk already when I got there. Except the few who were to drive later.

I noticed Mia as soon as I got into the room. She was wearing a tight, short, red dress and a pair of red horns on top of her head. She looked as devilish as I would have thought her to be, if she had been after Mark. I was grateful that she wasn't.

As she noticed me she sent me a big smile and walked over to me.

"Anna!" She exclaimed but didn't reach out her hand to shake mine.

"Hello Mia." I said politely and wished Mark would show up. I couldn't' see him anywhere, though.

"Mark was asking for you." Mia continued. "He was worried something had happened since you hadn't shown up yet."

"Nothing happened. I just left late because…" I hesitated while thinking up an excuse. "…I didn't know what to wear!" What can I say? I'm a girl, and the excuse seemed realistic enough.

"Aha." Mia said with a suspicious look at me. Then she turned to talk to someone else and her face turned into a big and somewhat artificial smile. "Harry…!" She said and took the man's arm.

I reckoned Harry was her boss. At least if Mark had been right about her and her motives.

"Anna!" Someone said behind me and made me turn around to face him. It was Mark. His eyes looked dim, and he had obviously been drinking. He tried to give me a kiss on the cheek but miscalculated the distance from his face to mine, which made the corner of his mouth touch mine in the kiss. I don't think he noticed, but I certainly did! I felt a little dizzy as the warmth spread inside of me, and judging from the fire in my cheeks I was blushing as well.

"Is anything wrong?" Mark asked and had no clue what was going on inside of me.

"No. No. Nothing's wrong." I said and tried to look him in the eyes. I couldn't. "I just need something to drink."

"Are you sure? You look like you're boiling."

"Yes. I'm fine." I lied and walked to the bar. "One vodka and juice, please."

The bartender gave me a nod before he looked at Mark.

"Make it two vodkas with juice." The latter added and turned around to take a look at the crowd. I followed his example while waiting for my drink.

"Look, Anna, there's the new prime minister's sister!" Mark exclaimed so loudly that I was afraid she would've heard. She didn't react, though, so I guess she didn't hear him, after all.

"Is _she_ the wife of Mia's boss?" I asked feeling sorry for the poor woman. When Mia set her eyes on something or someone, she usually got her way. I wouldn't have liked to be Harry's wife with Mia as competition. But then again…was it any better to be competing with Juliet? Though Juliet didn't compete with me on purpose?

"Yes, she is. She doesn't look much like her brother, does she?"

"She looks a lot older." I said not raising my voice as much as Mark did. "And a lot more boring!" I added looking at the woman, who looked worn and much older than she probably was. In spite of the way she looked, she kept going around saying hello to all of her husband's employees. She looked strong and energetic, if that goes with worn and old. I couldn't help admiring her a bit, as she walked around the room leaving an air of friendliness all over the place.

"Where are you, Anna?" Mark's drunken voice brought me back to reality.

"Oh, I was just lost in my thoughts."

"About the prime minister's sister?" He asked with a teasing twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, actually!" I said pretending to try to shock him.

"And all this time I thought you were going for her brother!" Mark said and laughed at his own remark.

"You should know me better by now." I said and nudged his arm. "The minister is not at all my kind."

"I thought he was every girl's kind!"

"Nah, he's too old." I said and took a big gulp of the drink the bartender finally brought me.

"Two more of these!" Mark said and emptied his drink in one.

I knew he ought not to drink so much, but he was in a good mood, and I was convinced he wouldn't start whimpering over Juliet, so I didn't say anything. Besides, I was his friend – not his mother! There was no need for me to be so protective of him!

"Anna! Hi!" A somewhat familiar, female voice made me take my eyes off of Mark. I had been staring at him trying to dance for quite a while now. The voice was Sarah's.

"Hello Sarah." I replied and hugged her back as she threw her arms around me. I hadn't exactly expected to be hugged by her as we had only met a few times before, but she was probably drunk as most other people were.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" She asked in her American accent. "Looking for someone to bring home with you?"

"Eh, no. Not exactly." I said a little surprised by this straight forward question of hers. Then a thought crossed my mind. Was she waiting for me to ask her the same question? "Are you?"

"Ehm…" She hesitated. "…No."

It was easy to tell she was lying, but I didn't want her to tell anything she didn't like telling me about. I mean, I hardly knew her. Why would I want to hear about the guys she wanted to take home with her, anyway?

"Do you see that handsome man over there?" She asked and pointed at a tall and rather dark man with glasses and black hair. He looked good, I had to admit that, but his hair was far too long for my liking!

"Do you mean Karl?" I asked and wasn't too sure from where I knew his name.

"Do you know him?"

"Eh…no." I replied and tried to think really hard. I still couldn't remember where I had seen him before. "Are you…?"

"If I'm in love with him? No. I mean…Yes. I mean…I'm not exactly _in_ _love_ with him. 'Love' is such a big word. An analysis of the word 'love' will tell you that…"

I stopped listening. I knew what love meant. And I really wasn't depressed enough to listen to Sarah explaining the meaning of it to me. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind her at all, but I was beginning to get in the mood for partying, and talking about love wasn't exactly the funniest thing to do. To my big relief Mark came over and grabbed my hands.

"Come dance with me!" He said and dragged me onto the dance floor. The DJ played a song that was rather difficult to dance to, but Mark didn't care. He danced the best he could and when the song changed into the slow Christmas ballad by Billy Mack that I had heard so often lately, he just placed his hands on my hips and kept dancing. I tried to tell him that I didn't feel like dancing, but he just ignored me and stared at my lips with quite a drunk expression on his face.

"Mark? Are you alright?" I asked and felt how his hands moved a bit up my back. I tried to step away, but he held me back.

"I'm…fine." He said still staring at my lips, and I had a feeling he was about to fall and that he would take me with him when he did.

He moved his face a little closer to mine, and I closed my eyes wanting to give in. I just couldn't. It would destroy our friendship if anything like this happened, and I could never allow that.

"Anna…" Mark whispered and I felt a tickle inside of me and had second thoughts about not giving in. "…I'll just go talk to Mia."

The announcement of his took my by surprise and made me open my eyes with lightning speed, but Mark was already on his way towards Mia. The latter was dancing with her boss, whispering something into his ear, and, to be honest, it looked as if the object of her efforts wasn't at all pleased with her being so close. Though Mark was very drunk he obviously thought the same thing, and a few moments later he had separated Mia from her boss.

I sighed and walked away from the dance floor. I had been about to do something very stupid, and still I wished I had given in a little sooner. Then I scolded myself for thinking so, because it would definitely have been fatal!

---

"You must be new!" A voice said and the prime minister's sister smiled warmly at me. "I haven't seen _you_ before!"

"Ehm…" I said not knowing whether it would be okay with her and her husband that I was there when I wasn't an employee.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Karen. Harry's wife." The woman said and shook my hand.

"Anna Carlings." I replied and shook her hand as well. "And I'm afraid I don't really belong here."

"What do you mean? Don't you feel welcome at work? Is it something I should talk to Harry about?"

"No, no!" I said with a smile as she misunderstood. "I don't work for your husband. I'm a friend of the guy who's in charge of the gallery."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Karen said with a small laugh, but then she looked away. What had caught her attention was a tall guy with brown hair and blue eyes. He was walking over to us (well, no…to _Karen_) reaching his hand out to her.

"Karen! It's been a long time!" He said and shook her hand with a big smile. She smiled back at him and returned the handshake.

"Mike, this is Anna." She said introducing us to each other. I didn't fail to see the mysterious smile she sent him, but as he took my hand and kissed it, she seemed to disappear.

"Charmed!" Mike said and looked me in the eyes. I know it was lame of him to say that, but a small part of me felt flattered, and as he kept looking at me with that _charmed_ expression on his face, it didn't take me many minutes to let him get me a drink, and after another couple of drinks he persuaded me to go dance with him.

"What is a lovely lady such as yourself doing here, when you're not one of Harry's employees?" Mike asked as we danced. He had his hands on my back, and I did nothing to make him remove them.

"You know the guy who's in charge of the gallery?" I asked with a nod towards Mark who was dancing with Mia.

"Mia's friend? What about him? Is he your boyfriend?"

"No, he's just my friend, but I'm here because he didn't want to go alone."

"Oh, so are you saying that you don't really want to be here? Are you bored?"

"Not anymore!" I heard myself say and cursed my tongue right afterwards. That was such a lame remark!

"Is that so?" Mike asked and looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes. "I'll take that as a compliment!"

I knew I blushed, and I never know what to do or where to look when I blush, so I decided to go take a drink.

"Was it something I said?" Mike asked bewildered as I got out of his arms.

"No. I just need a drink." I said and thought I left him on the dance floor. I didn't, because he followed me to the bar.

"Let me." He said and got me another drink. To be honest, I was flattered because of all the attention he paid me and probably also rather cheap because of all the alcohol I had already consumed.

"You look so beautiful!" Mike said a few moments later, holding me close on the dance floor. I felt how he moved up his hand to touch my hair, and as I looked behind him, I saw Karl doing the same thing to Sarah. They, too, were dancing closely. Sarah looked really, really happy and her happiness sort of infected me too, and for a moment it felt as if Mike were making me happy.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked in a hoarse whisper which told me he was feeling good.

"Just that…" I began and breathed in deeply. The alcohol was gaining effect on me, and I wanted to feel in love with Mike. "…How much I enjoy this."

"What?"

"You, holding me close." I said and held my breath, afraid what he'd think of that remark. He would either break away from me or hold me even closer. I was hoping for the last thing to happen.

Mike didn't reply – at least not with words – but just as the songs switched from _Christmas_ _is All Around_ (which they played AGAIN) to an even slower Christmas ballad which sounded quite a lot like the boy band _Blue_'s newest single, Mike's hand on my neck pulled my face so close that I could feel his breath on my lips. I closed my eyes, ready to kiss him, but instead of fulfilling my expectations, Mike whispered in my ear.

"Do you want to go somewhere?"

Drunk as I was I just nodded and followed him as he led me away from the dance floor and outside in the rain. It must've been obvious to everyone that we were leaving together, but I didn't care.

As we got into a taxi I practically tore Mike's shirt up from his pants, letting my hands crawl up his body underneath it. He kissed me rather hard and violently, and it was easy to tell that he, too, could hardly wait till we got to his place. Somehow, though, we managed to stay dressed until Mike had paid the taxi driver and we got into his apartment, but I had only just closed the door behind me, when Mike pulled off my top. He went straight to my nipples and kissed them brutally, and for a flicker of a moment I thought about slowing down and taking it easy. Then I felt his hand slide up the inside of my leg. I was wearing a short skirt, and the touch of his hand on my leg felt wrong. Again I thought about slowing down, but it was hard with a man so turned on and so demanding in his actions as Mike was.

As his hand pulled down my briefs, and with them my nylons, something inside of me contracted. This was so wrong. Though I was drunk it felt wrong.

"No, stop." I said not loud enough for Mike to actually understand. We were still standing in the entrance. Even _he_ would know why this was wrong.

"Mike, stop!" I said again, this time a little louder. I'm positive he heard me, because for a short moment he stiffened, but then he ignored me.

"Stop!" I demanded and withdrew his hand from my abdomen. He tried to kiss me again, but I turned my face away.

"I really don't get you." Mike said angrily and stepped a little away. "In the taxi you couldn't get enough of me, and now…"

"I know." I said without looking at him. "And I'm sorry. I just can't do this."

"Fine!" He said and opened the door, pushing me outside. "Have a nice life!"

Then he slammed the door behind me, and I felt more surprised than ashamed, though I was standing out in the street, with my panties down between my knees, thinking that at least he could have let me get dressed again before throwing me out!

---

"Hello!" I answered my phone drowsily. The only reason why I answered was the fact that I could see on the display that it was Mark. Anyone else but him wouldn't have gotten through, as I felt so wasted that all I wanted to do was sleep the day away.

I hadn't gotten home that late, because in the end nothing had happened, but I had been awake for hours thinking about Mark and Mike and the reason why I couldn't go through with Mike. The reason was, of course, Mark. I couldn't have sex with anyone as long as I was in love with Mark. Heck, I couldn't even kiss anyone without feeling bad. Kissing Paul had felt wrong, and now kissing Mike had felt wrong too. I silently cursed Mark for having such an impact on me, when I heard his happy voice in the other end of the line.

"Hey Anna! Not up yet?"

"Not up yet." I replied much more sulky than he deserved.

"I take it that you and Mike had a good time last night, then." He said almost in a laugh.

"You're wrong." I said and took a gulp of water from the glass on my bed table. I didn't remember putting it there when I got home, but I _had_ been quite drunk, so it was no wonder, really.

"Was he really that lousy at it?" Mark asked obviously forgetting to whom he was talking.

"Mark, I'm not one of your perverted mates! I can't take dirty talk like that so early in the morning!"

"Early in the morning? Anna, it's almost five in the afternoon!"

"_That's_ why it's dark outside? I thought it was still morning." I muttered.

"Anyway, I was just thinking about coming over to cook dinner in your kitchen, but as you haven't had breakfast yet…"

"Thanks, but I'll pass this one." I said and felt a little less moody. "It's really sweet of you, but I feel terrible." It wasn't a lie. Maybe my hangover wasn't as bad as it would've been if I had woken up in the morning instead of the afternoon, but I was still feeling very sorry for myself, and I didn't want Mark to see me this way. He'd ask what was wrong, and he wasn't supposed to know, so I turned down his offer, though all I wanted to do was to see him.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to eat alone, then." He said obviously trying to sound sadder than he was.

"Too bad your parents moved. Your mum would've loved to cook for you." I said remembering Mark's mum and dad. Already when we were young they were a bit grandparent-ish. I guess they were just old-fashioned, but I always thought of them as grandparents.

"Yeah. Oh, by the way, will you be celebrating Christmas with your parents?"

"No, they won't be coming home this Christmas. I thought I already told you."

"Yeah. Yes, you did. That's why I asked Ma if you could come home with me."

"And what did she say?"

"She told me never to ask such a question again!"

"Oh."

For a moment I thought I hadn't been listening and thereby missed a part of the conversation, as I couldn't imagine Mark's mum saying a thing like that. I wasn't thinking too clearly, which is why it surprised me so much. I should've known that she would never actually tell her son to leave his best friend behind, but I didn't.

"Anna!" Mark complained. "She told me never to ask again because of course you'll always be welcome. I even think you'll be more welcome than I. They've missed you since they moved from London."

"Oh." I said again taking another gulp of water. "I really need some painkillers!"

"Huh?"

"Oh. Nothing."

"So, what do you say?"

"To what?"

"Will you come spend Christmas with me…us?"

"Ehm… Can I think about it?" I asked not sure I could handle so many days with Mark in romantic Christmas surroundings.

"What's there to think about? You've got nowhere else to go, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, you'll be coming with me, then. End of discussion."

"But…"

"And you'll be driving, by the way!"

"Alright, then. But I'm only saying yes to make you shut up!" I said teasingly. I was finally beginning to feel a little awake.

"That's fine with me. As long as you say yes."

"But we won't be leaving too early, will we?"

"No, not if you don't want to."

"Good, 'cause I've got some work to do."

"I've got some…stuff…to do, too, so leaving late will be perfect."

"Alright. But I gotta get something to eat now."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"'Kay."

"Bye, Anna."

"Bye, Mark."

---

For some reason I didn't know, the atmosphere was rather gloomy as we drove towards Milton Keynes on the night of the 24th. Mark's parents had moved there from London more than one and a half year ago, and I felt a little bad about not having visited yet. When they still lived in London I saw them at least twice a month, and I hadn't realized before how much I had actually missed them both.

I had picked up Mark five minutes ago, and from he had said 'hi' and got into the car and until now, he hadn't said a single word. I didn't really know whether to question him about it, but I figured that he'd speak if he needed to talk about it.

I turned on the radio and switched channels instantly. They were playing _Christmas is All Around_ again, and it was really beginning to get on my nerves.

We drove another distance in silence (except for the radio playing a song from the sixties), until I decided to ask what was wrong. It would be a long trip if Mark refused to talk all the way.

"So…how was your day?" I asked casually, keeping my eyes on the road. The rain was pouring down, and for some reason I've always liked rain in the dark. As long as it's not windy at the same time. I think it sort of calms me down. Makes me relax in some way.

"It was…" Mark began, then he hesitated pressing his thumb and index finger against the top of the bridge of his nose. I've never figured why he's always done that when there was something he didn't know how to say. When I've done so, it's always been to prevent myself from starting to cry.

"It was different." He finally spilled.

"In what way 'different'?" I asked encouragingly. I didn't want him to leave it at that.

"I…eh…went to see Juliet."

"You what?!" I exclaimed trying hard to focus on the road. "Why? What for? I mean, she's married, Mark. You're not supposed to hit on her!"

I think I almost revealed my feelings with this sudden exclamation of mine, but Mark was too lost in his sorrow to notice.

"It wasn't like that. I wasn't trying to steal her away. It'd be no good, anyway."

"Okay." I said breathing in deeply. I had to calm myself, so I began listening to the monotone sound of the wipers on the windscreen. "And…what happened, then?"

"I brought a…eh…CD player."

"A CD player?" I asked puzzled. "Why?"

"To play her Christmas carols."

"Aha." I said awaiting more.

"And then…" It was easy to tell he didn't know how to express himself. "…then I had brought these boards…"

"Boards?"

"Yes. I had written something on them."

"Something like…?"

"...like…'to me you're perfect' and stuff like that."

"So you revealed everything?"

"She already sort of knew, but…I just had to tell her, Anna! I had to get it out!"

"I guess I…understand that." I muttered focusing on the road.

"I left again and thought it a thing of the past, but then she ran to me…"

"And…?" I asked not sure if I wanted to know.

"She kissed me."

"She _what_?!" I exclaimed and made the car swerve to the right quite suddenly. Luckily no one came towards us at that very moment, and within a second or two I had the car under control again.

"Not passionately. More…like…in a friendly way." He sounded far too happy for my liking.

"And was it…all you had expected it to be?" I asked fighting with the pain in my nose, which indicated that tears were bound for my eyes.

"It happened so fast that I didn't realize until she had left again, what had just happened."

"Mark, you gotta let go!" I said trying not to sound hysterical. I felt it, though.

"I know. She's Peter's girl. I have no right to wish for her to leave him."

"Mark!" I exclaimed a bit shocked. This time, however, I was able to control both myself and the car. "You _have_ to move on! If not for your own sake, then at least for hers and Peter's!"

"You're right, Anna. As always." He agreed and turned up the volume. It was Billy Mack again. Did mark actually _like_ that old hippie's music?

Again we drove on in silence for a while. My own words kept going around inside of my head. "You _have_ to move on!" I had told him. But didn't I have to, too? I had been lost in him since forever, and there was no way he could ever want me. It was about time I realized that he and I were never meant to be. Right there and then I decided to give up. No, I decided to start over – not give up. Enough was enough, and now was the right time to change the state of things!

"What're you saying?" Mark asked with a questioning look at me. I hadn't realized I had said the words out loud.

"I just think it's enough now!" I said not letting him know I was referring to my own feelings for him. He just smiled and looked a little happier than he did when we left London.

"Yeah. It's enough now." He muttered almost inaudibly while switching radio channels.

* * *

A/N: Don't have much to say right now. Hope you liked it. Please let me know if you did so by reviewing. Thank you so much!


	5. Slutty

A/N: Wow, It didn't even take me a week to put up this chapter, did it?

In this chapter it may seem as if I don't like Milton Keynes much. I do. Or…I don't know if I do. I've never been there. It's just that Anna is from London, and so Milton Keynes is quite different from what she's used to. It's not that she doesn't like it or anything, and I don't want anyone to feel offended. That's not my intention, and I don't think anyone will be, but…I just want to make sure that no one _will _get offended. Think that'll be done by now!

Miss Sofie.

* * *

**Chapter Five - Slutty**

"Why did I have to forget my key?" Mark said annoyed and knocked on the door again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you stand out in the rain."

"It's okay." I said with a small laugh. I thought it rather cute that Mark worried about me getting wet. Then I forgot about him being cute, as his mother finally opened the door.

"Anna!" She exclaimed and practically dragged me inside. "It's good to see you, sweetheart. Have you grown?"

Mark was still standing outside looking very wet and much neglected.

"Thanks, Ma. It's good to see you too!" He muttered sarcastically, but she didn't hear him. Her hearing hadn't been too good for the past ten years or so.

"I don't think I have, Clara. At least only around the waist, I think." I replied and hugged her. She grabbed her son's hand and dragged him towards us, and soon we had a major group hug going on, as Mark's dad came to join us as well. Their brown Labrador, Molly, jumped around trying to take part as well.

Mark rolled his eyes at me, but I knew his parents too well to be embarrassed. And it was wonderful to feel wanted and to feel cared about.

"Where's Grandma?" Mark asked as we had gotten our stuff inside and the door had been closed behind us.

"She's asleep. She doesn't get up so often anymore." Ben said in a whisper. Ben was Mark's father.

"She lives here with you?" I said surprised, but also in a whisper.

"Mark hasn't told you? She fell and broke her hip four months ago." Clara whispered. "She's been living with us since then. She's not well enough to take care of herself anymore, I'm afraid."

"There's no need to whisper. Really." Mark said taking my suitcase in his right hand and his own in his left. "Her room's upstairs, and even if she's not asleep she can't hear us."

"Upstairs? With a broken hip? How does she get around, then?" I asked well-knowing that Mark's parents wouldn't be offended by a question like that, though some would've been.

"Ben's invented a sort of elevator that can take her whole bed up and down if necessary." Clara said with a proud look at her husband. "But she rarely leaves her room. Only to get washed. And there's a bathroom upstairs, too. Come, you've got to see the house!"

Clara dragged me along and I let Mark deal with our luggage.

The house was bigger than I had expected it to be. Everywhere Mark's dad had placed or built in things which would make living in the house even more comfortable. I smiled when I remembered how he used to invent all sorts of funny things to make life easier. He once built an addition to Mark's bike so I would be able to stand behind him on our way to school, but all that came from it was a black eye and two dead front teeth. The black eye was mine, the dead front teeth were Mark's. Luckily they could be replaced, and no one ever noticed they weren't real, even if they had been told the story.

Clara showed me everything, and I couldn't be more pleased with the room she had chosen for me to stay in. It was in the corner of the house and had windows both to the south and to the west. The bathroom would be to my right and Mark's room to my left, and the stairs in front of Mark's room. It meant that we would be able to come home late without waking up anyone, as his parents' bed room was in the other end of the house.

The only thing that Clara hadn't showed me yet, was her mother-in-law's bed room. When we walked past it, we heard voices from inside, and Clara opened the door a bit. Mark was already there, and his grandmother was awake.

"Oh, you're awake!" Clara stated and let me in. "I think Anna would like to say hello."

"Hello Clarisse." I said and smiled at the old lady who reached out her hand to me. I came closer and took her hand. Mark was holding her other hand.

"I'll leave you alone." Clara said and closed the door behind her. Clarisse just looked at me, then at Mark, and then back at me.

"How are you, child? It's good to see you again. It makes me so happy that you're still sticking with my spoiled grandson!" She said with a twinkle in her eye.

"I'm not spoiled, Grandma…" Mark began, but she ignored him while staring at me. Had it been any other person staring at me like that, I would probably have felt uncomfortable, but Clarisse was and had always been kindness itself, so I didn't mind her looking at me. It sort of made me feel calm inside. Don't ask me why, but it did. And Heaven knows that I hadn't felt very calm driving up here!

"Does Mark treat you well? Does he make you happy?" She then asked like all of a sudden.

"Grandma, we're not…" Mark tried, but I think I understood better than he did. His grandmother wasn't well anymore, and it wasn't only physical.

"Yes, he treats me well." I replied as true was. Mark cleared his throat, but I didn't look at him.

"You don't look happy, child." She said and looked from me to Mark. "And neither do you."

She took our hands and placed them in each other, but I felt Mark trying to withdraw immediately.

"If anything's wrong between the two of you you'd better get it sorted out." She said and let go of our hands. Mark opened his mouth to say something, but I squeezed his hand to tell him not to. Clarisse clearly believed that Mark and I were together, and judging from the happy smile on her face she wanted it to be that way. There was no need to try to explain. It'd only make her unhappy, and I didn't have the heart to do so.

We sat in her room for a while, talking about stuff that interested her. I was tired after the ride, but I tried not to show it. I thought Clarisse didn't notice, as she seemed to be far away most of the time. In the end she even closed her eyes while talking to us. That's when I felt it was time to leave her.

"You'd better get some sleep." She said and opened her eyes just as I thought about leaving. "Tomorrow is a big day." With that she closed her eyes again and began to snore faintly.

Mark let go of my hand and we left the room in silence.

None of us said anything until we were downstairs again. It was Mark who broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about what happened." He began, inspecting some Christmas decorations on a chest of drawers in the hall.

"It's okay." I said trying to catch his eye. He kept looking at the decorations.

"You know, Grandma isn't well. She knows very well that…we're…not together…at least when her head is clear, but I'm afraid she doesn't remember too well anymore…"

"Mark! It's okay!" I said again and put my hand on his arm. There was no reason for him to feel so bad about it. All that happened was that we had to hold hands. I doubted it'd be fatal in any way. Even for me and my feelings. I didn't tell him, though.

"Good." He said and opened the door to the living room, in which his parents were watching TV.

"Can you believe that?" His mother's voice greeted us. "The new Prime Minister…" She said with her eyes focused on the TV screen. "…has found himself a girl! And she's young! Younger than you are, I think. They just showed the two of them kissing at some Christmas show at a school in London. Can you believe that?" She went on. Mark rolled his eyes and smiled at me.

"Yes, Mama. We believe it if you say so." He said and sat down in an arm chair. "Have they said anything _interesting_ on the News?"

His father hit him gently with a folded news paper, but his mother was too wrapped up in the news about the Prime Minister that she didn't even hear her son insulting her. If she had, she wouldn't have felt insulted anyway, because that was what their family was like. They always teased and bantered each other, but in a very friendly way. I suddenly realized why I had missed them so much, even though they were not _my_ parents.

---

"Merry Christmas, Anna!" Mark's voice greeted me as I got downstairs on Christmas morning. I had slept a little longer than the others, it seemed, and no one had woken me up.

"Merry Christmas." I replied and put my arms around Mark whether he wanted it or not. He wanted it, and he hugged me back.

"Oh, there you are!" Clara said as she entered the living room with a tea towel hung over her shoulder. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart!"

"Merry Christmas." I said again and hugged Mark's mother as well. She smelt really good as she, obviously, came right from the kitchen.

"Is Clarisse awake?" I asked, but Clara shook her head.

"She's never up this early. She sleeps a lot these days."

"But Papa's up." Mark said placing himself on the floor next to the Christmas tree. "As soon as he gets in we'll open the presents!"

Clara shook her head again, but this time she smiled at the same time.

"And how old are you, Mark? Five?"

"Next month." He replied and began examining the surface of the presents with his name on them.

"Don't you dare!" Clara said and flicked his fingers with the tea towel. "That will have to wait till after breakfast!"

"Mama!" He complained, but he _did_ get up again and came with us to the kitchen.

Ben soon came back from his morning walk with Molly, and though Clara's cooking was incredible breakfast was soon over. Mark was simply too impatient to unwrapping his presents, which made the rest of us laugh at him. He did behave almost like a child, though in a very irresistible way.

He was very satisfied with his presents, but I don't think he would've sulked like a child if he hadn't been. He loved the easel and paintbrushes I gave him, and I felt warm inside as he gave me a big kiss on the cheek to say thank you. I felt even warmer as I opened the present from him. It had been placed behind a bookcase away from the other presents, so I wouldn't see it until Christmas morning.

"Mark!" I exclaimed as I tore off the paper that was wrapped around the rather large painting inside. Tears filled my eyes as I saw myself pictured in Mark's brushstrokes. He had taken a photo of me last summer which we both thought was quite good, and, obviously, he had painted it.

"Do you like it?" He asked expectantly. "I mean, people never like home-made presents, but I couldn't afford buying you one, so…" He said with a teasing smile.

"I love it!" I said and nudged his stomach. "It's perfect! Thank you so much!"

"I'm glad you think so." He said and opened another present, leaving me to try to hide my happy tears.

"Peter knows me too well!" Mark said after a while. "Look what I got from him and Juliet." He said and showed me the aftershave and deodorant I had helped Juliet choose for him.

"Mmm…" I said not letting him know I had chosen it.

"It's my favourite. I never knew Peter noticed stuff like that."

"Maybe Juliet does." I said and opened a present that Clara handed me. I reached to see her amused smile before she turned to look at her husband. Okay, so maybe Mark and I were an amusing sight. We were both sitting on the floor in our pyjamas, opening presents without knowing what was going on around us. No one would've thought we were a single day above fifteen, if it weren't for our looks. We sure didn't behave it.

I looked down at the gift in my hands and couldn't help laughing. It was an orange t-shirt with the words "I'm a babe!" written across the chest in black letters on a pink back ground.

"What is it?" Mark asked as I kept laughing. The gift was from Peter and Juliet, and Peter definitely hadn't chosen it.

"I never knew Juliet had a sense of humour!" I said and held up the t-shirt for Mark to see.

"Ah, I knew you'd like it!" Mark said a little too self satisfied for me not to notice. Had _he_ chosen it?

"I'm never gonna wear it in public!" I said though stretching it out as to see if it was large enough.

"Why not?" Mark asked casually. "It's true."

"Thank you very much," I said and tried not to blush, "but even if it were, I wouldn't want to be seen wearing it by anyone!"

"I'm…not sure I get that." Mark said with a frown, but it wasn't one of his sad frowns. Just a confused one. "I'll definitely wear my new aftershave!" He stated and put something on right away.

"Mark! Not in here!" His mum complained, but the scent already spread through all the Christmassy scents in the room. It was going to be a couple of tough holidays with Mark wearing it, but it was sort of my own fault. Besides, I was getting over Mark. I had decided that last night. Him smelling good would be no problem!

---

Though Mark's parents were really nice and sweet, he and I got a little bored after a couple of days. Clara cared a lot about the news and the gossip (mainly the gossip), and she kept telling us all the news about the Prime Minister and his new girlfriend, Natalie something, who, apparently, used to be part of his household staff. To be honest, it interested neither Mark nor me, though we listened the best we could.

Clara even began telling us about this Natalie's family situation, which was when Mark and I decided to go out!

We went to a pub in what must've been the centre of Milton Keynes. It was quite cosy, and we decided to stay for a beer or two.

To my own big surprise I realized that the first thing I did was scan the room for good-looking men. I was sort of ashamed of myself, but I did find one or two potential dates anyway.

Mark went to the bar to get a beer for each of us, and I sat down by a small table.

Quite fast I noticed a man looking a lot at me, but I didn't look back. I wasn't looking to score. I was with Mark, and I had no intention of getting drunk enough to land anyone. Not in Milton Keynes, anyway.

Mark and I talked about this and that while we drank our beer. We talked a lot about his parents, and a little about mine. Mark's mum had stopped working to take care of his grandmother, and with the money his father made on his inventions, they had no financial problems with only one breadwinner.

My own parents worked as English teachers in Spain, but Mark already knew that, so we didn't talk so much about them. I didn't feel like it, either. For some reason their moving to Spain sort of made me feel angry. Though I was grown up, I still needed parents. I was lucky to have Mark's!

"I'll go get us another beer." I said and got up from my chair. Mark nodded and I left him for the bar.

"Your boyfriend?" Someone asked as I put my elbows on the counter. I looked up and saw the man that had looked at me before. He nodded towards Mark.

"Ehm…no." I said and asked the bartender for two draught beers.

"So he won't beat me up if I try to flirt with you?" The man continued and made me think he was being pathetic. I didn't realize that I was probably no better myself when I was drunk.

"He might just do that anyway." I said faking a smile at the man. I don't know if he heard the slightly annoyed tone in my voice, but he didn't say anything further, and I left him with the beers, going back to Mark and our table. I don't know why, but I didn't tell Mark what the man had said. Somehow it embarrassed me. Did I look easy or something?

Mark and I had another couple of beers, and after a while Mark had to go to the men's room. Beer is diuretic, so it was only natural.

Though I had only had four or five beers I was beginning to feel good and relaxed, and as I took a look around the pub, I suddenly saw a lot more than only two date potentials. I tried to pull myself together instead of being ridiculous, but I couldn't. Instead I went to fetch another beer.

The guy from before was still sitting in the bar, and he, too, had had a few more beers, I think. He definitely stared at me when I walked up next to him.

"That one's on me." He said and cast a glance to our table. He seemed to relax as Mark hadn't come back.

"He won't beat you up." I said with a small laugh. "That was just something I said. Don't ask me why."

"Okay…" He said with a strange look at me. I couldn't tell whether he was bedazzled or amused. Or maybe he was just bemused? "Can I ask about your name, then?"

"Anna." I said and reached out my hand to him.

"I'm Nathan." He said and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you!"

I just smiled in reply and took the beer that the bartender had placed before me.

"Thanks." I said and walked back to Mark, who had returned.

"Didn't you get me one?" He asked as I sat down again.

"Oh. I forgot." I said and got up again.

"No. No, I'll get it." He said and got up, making me sit down again. He went to the same spot as I next to Nathan, and I couldn't help stealing glances at the two of them. But they didn't speak. Nathan just turned around and looked at me, which caused me to look away like a school girl. How pathetic. When I looked back at him he just smiled at me, and I found him a lot cuter than during my first beer!

His skin was a bit darker than the usual Brit's and his head was bald. He was wearing a soccer jersey – the one of our international team – and he looked rather muscular beneath it. I must've been eating him with my eyes, because when Mark returned, he told me to close my mouth and try to look intelligent.

"Shut up!" I said and finished the beer from Nathan, before I began on the one Mark brought me. "I was just lost in my thoughts, that's all!"

"Yeah, right." Mark said, but he smiled and didn't pursue the subject any further.

I got up to collect our next beers, and Nathan was still there. He had been looking quite a lot at me since we had spoken, and I at him. I don't know if Mark had noticed, but he hadn't mentioned it, so I reckoned he hadn't.

"Please excuse me for saying this…" Nathan said a little closer to my ear than necessary. It made my stomach do a little somersault. "…But where are you from? You're certainly not from here, judging by the look of you."

"What do you mean?" I asked sharply. Did I look odd?

"No, don't get me wrong." He said and put a hand on my arm. He didn't remove it again right away. "You just look a lot more feminine or fashionable or something than the girls who usually come in these places."

"Oh." I said and felt rather flattered. "I live in London. I'm only here for the holidays."

"That's a shame." He said and looked almost sad. I couldn't help laughing at the puppy dog expression he showed.

"Come on!" I said smilingly and gave his hand a squeeze. "You won't be getting anywhere with that!"

"I won't?" He asked with a twinkle in his eyes and looked at my hand. It was still lying on top of his.

"I…uh…gotta get back." I said flustered and removed my hand.

"What about your beers, miss?" The bartender asked as I was about to leave without them.

I turned around to take them with me, and I noticed Nathan sending me quite an amused smile.

Damn it! I thought and went back to Mark. I hadn't been supposed to get this drunk!

But Mark and I still kept drinking. I know it was a bad habit, but on the other hand… We weren't worse than most other people our age. At least not in Britain. And rather now than when we had married and established families.

After a while I had to go to the ladies' room. It was a wonder, really, that I had been able to wait this long. I had had as many beers as Mark already, and that wasn't few.

On my way back I met Nathan in the passage. I'm not sure it was a coincidence, but I didn't care. My face brightened up at the sight of him, and I reeled towards him.

"Happy to see me?" He asked with a smile and put his arms around me to support me. Or so I thought back then. Now I think he put his arms around me to hold me close.

I didn't reply, but instead I kissed him. I was so drunk that it seemed a natural thing to do, though I felt him hesitating for a few seconds. Then he gave in and kissed me back.

I know I was sort of aggressive, but I felt so drawn to him. Physically, probably, but I told myself it was more than that. And I actually believed it! It took me quite a while to remember Mark, and though it made me feel bad, it also thrilled me, because it would mean that I was getting over him. Wouldn't it?

"Maybe we should get back…" Nathan said after a while, though he didn't sound as if he wanted to.

"Yeah." I said and backed a little away. I took his hand and he followed me back into the pub.

Mark wasn't at the table anymore, and for a split second I feared that he had left in anger. I _had_ been gone for quite long. Then I saw him in the bar. He was talking to a girl a little younger than us, and to my great relief I didn't feel jealous, even though he was smiling and probably flirting. It had to be Nathan's doing, though I couldn't believe I was falling for him this quickly.

Nathan and I kissed and talked some more, but after a while our kissing began to be a bit more suggestive.

"Got anywhere you need to be tomorrow morning?" Nathan whispered in my ear, and I shook my head.

"Wanna leave?" He then asked, and I closed my eyes breathing in deeply for a couple of seconds. "You don't have to, if you don't want to."

"I want to." I said and gave him a kiss. "I just have to…" I said without finishing. He knew what I was talking about, though, as I pointed my head in direction of Mark.

"Okay. I'll just go to the men's room, then." He said and left me.

Immediately, Mark came over to me.

"Is he nice?" He asked with a serious smile at me.

"Yes, he is." I said and tried to think of a way to tell Mark that I wouldn't be spending the night at his parents' place.

"He'd better be. Or I'll kick…"

"Alright, but he's nice!" I cut him off wanting our conversation to be over when Nathan returned. "And…ehm…I won't be going home with you tonight." I said and blushed.

"Oh, okay." Mark said not looking surprised at all. "Good luck with this one, then." He said and gave my shoulder a squeeze. It didn't exactly encourage me, though.

For the first time that night I noticed what kind of music they played. Right now they were playing a song by Evanescence. _Bring Me to Life_, I think. It expressed how I felt inside almost perfectly. I know it hadn't been Mark's intention, but his remark felt like a slap in the face. Was I really like that? And was that who I wanted to be?

"No, I'll be coming home with you!" I said and took a grip of Mark's sleeve. I felt almost panic-stricken.

Mark looked at me, puzzled, but he didn't say anything.

"Please, don't leave me here with Nathan." I said, my eyes probably showing horror, because Mark looked almost shocked. "You can't leave me here." I repeated and held on to him.

"Alright, alright!" He said and put his hands on my shoulders. "I won't leave you here, but what's wrong?"

"I'll tell you on our way home." I said and dragged him with me out of the pub. I didn't even take the time to tell Nathan I left without him.

"Okay, so do you care to tell me what happened in there?" Mark said a little more sober than I felt.

"It was just…" I said feeling nauseous in the taxi. "…that remark of yours…"

"What remark?" He asked putting an arm around me and letting me rest my head against him.

"The one about me having luck with _this one_."

"What about it? Oh…you didn't think that I meant…"

"I know you didn't mean it that way, but it made me feel slutty." I said and yawned. "Real slutty. But I feel much better now, having resisted and all…"

"Ah…!" Mark laughed and stroked my hair.

That's all I reached to hear and feel before I fell asleep in Mark's arms.

* * *

A/N: The song _Bring Me to Life_ is in no way my property. It was written and performed by the rock band Evanescence, and they are the rightful owners of it. At least to my knowledge! 


	6. Get Over It!

A/N: Hey. Just want to say that I know that in the movie some of the things that happen in this chapter happened in January. In this story they happen before New Year. It's not a mistake, it's intended. I just thought I'd let you know.

Read and review, please!

Miss Sofie

* * *

**Chapter Six – Get Over It!**

Mark and I drove back to London on the following day. Well… _Mark_ drove – _I_ had a hangover in the other front seat!

As we were at Mark's parents' place I hadn't been able to sleep long. I know they wouldn't have complained if I had done so, but I didn't like spending my time at their house in bed. That would be too impolite, so I got up rather early, though my head felt like exploding and my stomach felt like emptying itself all the time. Maybe it should have, because it would have made the trip home much more pleasant, I believe. Instead I was now thinking about making Mark stop every other minute, so I could get out and get some fresh air. Hopefully, it wouldn't be necessary.

Mark's Mum had given us a pack of chocolate biscuits for the road, and Mark was eating of them with great relish. I just felt like throwing them out of the window. Though they didn't smell much, the smell that they _did_ have was enough to make me feel even sicker.

"You know, you ought to stop doing that." Mark said after a while of watching me and the road in amusement.

"Doing what?" I asked not feeling so amused.

"Get drunk like that. You always get so drunk that you don't know what you're doing."

"And you don't?"

"Yes, but you're a girl. Girls are supposed to be sensible all the time!" He laughed as he said it, but I really wasn't in the mood for his jokes.

"Can you _live_ with yourself?!" I asked harshly and looked out the window. The sky was gray and it looked as if it would begin to rain or snow soon. I hoped it would snow.

"No, sorry, Anna. But seriously, what is it with you and guys?"

"What is it with me and guys? What is it with you and girls?" I asked still not in a very good mood. Blame it on the hangover.

"You know perfectly well why I don't have a girlfriend, but I don't understand why you don't have a boyfriend. You've been single since…forever…And I don't get that. You're smart, you're beautiful, and you get plenty of offers every time we go out. Why not take one of them?"

"Do you really think that getting hammered and going home with someone will be the right way for me to find a boyfriend?" I asked still feeling a bit ashamed after last night. I hadn't been able to forget about the feeling Mark's remark had caused. I still felt cheap, though I hadn't left with Nathan after all.

"No, I definitely don't think so. But…I could arrange a date for you with…"

"Thanks…" I cut him off. "…But I'm _not_ gonna go on blind dates to find Mr. Right. If he won't come to me the natural way, then I won't come to him, either!"

"It was just a suggestion…" Mark muttered less cheery than a minute ago. It made me feel sort of bad. There was no need for me to spoil his mood, just because I had a hangover.

"You know, Mark, why don't _you_ find a girl? And don't give me that crap about you being a guy and therefore legally single!"

"I just don't feel like it. I know I should be getting over Juliet. I think I _am_ getting over her. But still… I don't feel like finding someone. The thought just doesn't appeal to me. It's, like, I've got everything I want right here. I don't need a girlfriend. Not if I can't have Juliet."

"How can you say that almost in the same line? You're getting over Juliet, but you can't be with another girl? I don't get that!" I said and knew it was a lie. I felt the same way about him, though I told myself to get over him.

"I can't explain it, Anna. I just don't need anyone right now. I don't _want_ anyone!"

"Well, but if you won't explain it, then there's no need for me to try to explain, either, right?!" I said victoriously and gave a little smile.

"It's not that I don't want to explain…" Mark began. Then he sighed. "Alright, you win! I have no right to demand an explanation."

"No, indeed you don't!" I said with a smile and a look out the window. I was satisfied. Mark didn't want anyone if he couldn't have Juliet, and as he couldn't, it would mean that he wouldn't find himself another girl. At least not soon. It would make it a lot easier for me to get over him, if that makes sense. I mean, I would have the opportunity to get over him in my own pace and not when some girl or another would make me have to get over him. The thought pleased me very much!

"Hello Anna! It's really nice to see you. And merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you, too!" I said and hugged Juliet. She had invited me over for crullers and hot chocolate, and for the first time in my life I had said yes to her invitation without hesitating. "And thanks for the present." I said and opened my coat and the gray jersey beneath it to show her that I was wearing the t-shirt.

"Did you like it?" She asked with a big smile as she saw the t-shirt.

"I'm…wearing it!" I replied and zipped up my jumper again. "But don't expect me to wear it in public with nothing over!"

"As long as you're wearing it!" She said with a laugh and dragged me inside. "Peter's not at home, so we've got the whole apartment to ourselves. He and Mark went…"

"…shopping for fireworks. Yes, I know." I finished her sentence. "How many people will we be on New Year's Eve?"

Juliet and Peter had invited both me and Mark for New Year's Eve, and I was a little afraid that we'd be the only ones. Though we were used to it, it would be a bit like a double date, and it would be worse than usually, as it was a New Year party.

"So far only you and Mark have said yes, but I was thinking about inviting Jamie and Aurelia, though it's a little late. I just don't think they've got any plans yet."

"Who's Aurelia?"

"Oh, you haven't heard? Jamie met her in Portugal. He has a cottage there. He likes to go there to relax and write. You _do_ know he's a writer, right?"

Juliet went to the kitchen while talking, as the kettle whistled. The sound reminded me of Mark's parents. They had that sort of old-fashioned kettle as well.

"Yes. Yes, I know." I said and followed her to the kitchen. "But I thought he lived with…what's her name?"

"Yes, but she cheated on him with his own brother. Can you believe that?" Juliet asked filling two mugs with hot water. "Tea or chocolate?"

"Ehm…chocolate. And no, I can hardly believe that. I thought he was very much in love with her?"

"He was. But she apparently wasn't with him. But anyway, he met Aurelia in Portugal and they fell in love. They're already engaged."

"So soon?" I asked in disbelief. I couldn't be more than four weeks or so.

"Well…yes." Juliet replied with a smile at me, handing me a mug of steaming hot chocolate. "You'll get to see her today. Aurelia, that is."

"She's coming home with him already?" I asked and tried to picture Jamie with a Portuguese girl. It was difficult, as I could hardly remember what _he_ looked like.

We were to pick up Jamie – and Aurelia, apparently – at the airport in the afternoon. "They must be very much in love!"

"I hardly think they would be engaged if they weren't." Juliet replied and sat down in the sofa, motioning me to do the same. She placed her feet on the coffee table and switched on the stereo with the remote control. The radio was still playing Christmas music, but I must admit I didn't mind. Except for _Christmas is All Around_, I could listen to Christmas music all year long. As I began humming along to Bon Jovi's _I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Christmas_, Juliet just had to ask.

"So what was your Christmas with Mark like? Wish every day could be like Christmas?" She had a twinkle in her eye, but there was no doubt she meant it.

"Juliet, it's not like that." I said, taking a sip of my chocolate carefully, trying not to burn my tongue.

"I just asked what your Christmas was like." She said with eyes still twinkling from amusement. "What did _you_ think I meant?"

"My Christmas was fine, thank you." I said and ignored her last remark. "What about yours?"

"Oh, it was perfect. It was my first Christmas with Peter. Until now we've spent Christmas apart, but it was great this year. My parents love him, so it was really perfect." She had a dreamy expression on her face and I had no doubts that she was very much in love with Peter. Lucky girl! "But what do you say I dress your hair?" She suddenly changed topics.

"My hair?" I asked in surprise.

"Yes, I've always wanted to do your hair, but I've never dared to ask." She looked away as she said it, and I felt a little ashamed.

"Yeah. I haven't always been very nice, have I?" I more stated than asked. "I'm really sorry about that."

"It's okay. I know why and I understand you. It can't have been easy for you."

I didn't object, though it was sort of the same as admitting that I was in love with Mark. Though I wasn't anymore, of course. At least I was beginning not to be.

"But can I do your hair? I'd love to make small braids and put them on your head!"

"But that'd make me look like a teenager!"

"And what's wrong with that? Except they may not let you buy alcohol in the airport!" She teased and got up to find a brush and some hairpins.

"I'm not planning to." I smiled and gave in. "Alright, but don't make me look like a fool!"

"I won't." She replied and made me turn her back to her so she could brush my long hair.

It had been a long time since I had had a day like this – talking and having a cozy time with a friend who wasn't Mark. I actually thought it was really nice spending some time with Juliet, as she was the closest I came to having a real friend who was a girl. I hadn't realized how much I had missed it while being friends with Mark and being in love with him and, therefore, spending all my time either on him or on thinking about him. But it was nice. Juliet and I had a really nice time, and as Mark and Peter came to pick up us later to go to the airport with them, they had a minor shock. I mean, they had never seen us so friendly towards each other before, but I think they appreciated it. And why wouldn't they?

"Their plane is delayed." Peter stated as we looked at the arrival screen. We had come a little early, and the plane was delayed, so we had quite some time to kill.

"Can't we go shopping tax-free?" Juliet said well-knowing that we couldn't.

"Not without a boarding pass." Peter said and shook his head with a laugh. "But don't you have enough clothes and perfume already?"

"A girl can never get enough of those two!" Juliet replied and took a grip of my sleeve. "Let's find something to do. Those two are boring!"

She was alluding to Mark, who was reading an article about David Beckham or Michael Owen in a news paper which he had found on a table. I had never been able to tell David Beckham and Michael Owen from one another, though Mark kept telling me that they could not be compared at all. Beckham was a midfield player, and Owen was a forward. I really didn't care. They were both soccer players and they were both almost bald. To me they were the same!

"I think I'll go have a cup of coffee." I said as I saw a small café not far away. "I feel a bit cold. I should've brought my coat."

"Why on Earth did you leave it at home? We're in December, for God's sake!" Juliet said shaking her head at me.

"Yes, but…we're not really getting outside. Only the short distance from the car." I smiled at the shop assistant. "One coffee, please. Black." Then I looked a Juliet. "Do you want one?"

"No, thanks." She said and took a tabloid paper from the paper stand. "Have you seen the Prime Minister's girlfriend? She's around our age. Isn't that…weird?"

"I don't know." I replied and took a look at the front page of it. The girl _did_ look young, but she was beautiful. No wonder the Prime Minister had fallen for her, I thought and felt a little sad. I wondered when I would meet that special someone.

"I'll just go show it to Peter." Juliet said with a look at me, then at the shop assistant. "I'll bring it back in a minute."

The female shop assistant nodded and put my cup of coffee down on the counter while I found my purse. I paid for the coffee and took it to go back to the others. I didn't get so far, though, as something hit my elbow so hard that I spilled the coffee all over my jersey. It was burning me, and I had to unzip the jersey and take it off before I'd get a serious burn. At least that's what I thought when practically tearing off the jersey.

"I'm sorry. I'm terribly sorry." Someone said behind me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm…" I began and turned around. I didn't finish, as the man who had hit my elbow was staring at my breasts.

"What are you looking at?" I asked harshly and looked down myself. Oh no! I was wearing the t-shirt with 'I'm a Babe!' written across the chest. I had totally forgotten when tearing off my jersey.

"Ehm…sorry." The man said and looked me in the eye instead. Then he looked away. I softened a bit as I saw how flustered his own mistake made him. "I didn't mean to… But I ought to buy you a new jersey and a cup of coffee."

"No. No, it's okay." I said and looked back at him. He looked sort of good, and he was around my age – maybe a little older. He had short, blond hair, and his eyes were blue. When he smiled, a small wrinkle appeared in the corner of them.

"No, really! I should get you a new jersey. Or at least the money for a new one. How much did it cost?"

"Don't worry about that." I said and noticed out of the corner of my eye that Mark, Juliet, and Peter were watching.

"But won't you get cold?" He asked with another glance at my breasts. I could have sworn I heard Juliet giggle to my left.

"I'll be fine. But thank you." I said and caught his eye as he looked up again, once again flustered from looking too far down. It was sort of sweet, and I suddenly became aware of the fact that my hair looked like a fifteen-year-old's. My eyes flickered and I looked to my left for help. Juliet and Peter were smiling widely, and I'm glad the man in front of me didn't look at them, because he would definitely have noticed the looks on their faces. Mark was looking at his watch.

"Anna, we'll be late if you don't hurry up!" He said with a scathing look at me.

"Oh. Right." I said and turned to leave.

"Wait!" The man said and made me turn around. "I still owe you a cup of coffee." He said and made me smile though I didn't know why.

"Yeah." I replied huskily, though trying to control my voice. I coughed as he reached out his hand to me.

"I'm Nick." He said and I felt the warmth of his hand in mine as I took it.

"Anna." I replied and was aware of the fact that three pairs of eyes were watching me.

"Anna, we gotta go!" Mark said impatiently and made me let go of Nick's hand.

"Okay. See you around." I said and left a smiling Nick with what must have been a bad impression of a girl too stupid to say anything clever.

"Anna, he was really cute!" Juliet said and took my arm as we left.

"Yes. He was handsome." I replied.

"He so drooled over you!" Peter said with a small laugh and made me blush.

"He did not." I said and no one disagreed loudly.

"I can't believe how sweet he was!" Anna said with a dreamy expression on her face. I reckon Peter knew her well enough not to get jealous, because he didn't complain.

"I think he was a braggart!" Mark said sulkily. Well, so maybe _he_ couldn't take Juliet talking so warmly about Nick.

"Why is that?" Juliet asked, obviously offended on Nick's behalf.

"He was just trying to tell us he had money by wanting to buy Anna a new jersey. I can't believe you girls fell for that one!"

"Mark!" I complained having a hard time believing him to be so jealous. He had learned to live with Juliet being in love with Peter. How could a stranger make him feel so low, then? "He was just trying to be nice. What's with you today?"

"Nothing." Mark said and looked away from us, but I had already reached to see the frown on his forehead. "I just didn't like him, that's all. Had a bad feeling about him."

"Well, if it'll help on your mood we'll never see him again." Juliet said and took his arm so she walked between us with our arms in hers. "And the plane will land in a few minutes, and we'll get to meet Aurelia. I can't wait to see her!"

I was impressed by Juliet's ability to change Mark's mood, because a moment later he was back to normal, discussing soccer with Peter, even though their respective favourites were not playing during Christmas and New Year. I reckon men can always find reasons to discuss sports!

"There they are!" Juliet said and made me turn to look at Jamie and his new girlfriend. I had been looking at a girl in a read coat and a white cap. I could've sworn she was the one Juliet and I had just looked at a picture of on the front page of a tabloid paper. She looked so much like our Prime Minister's girlfriend.

"Where?" I asked and glanced back at the girl. I wasn't very interested in the rich and the famous, but I still thought it rather fun to see a celebrity once in a while.

"Isn't that…the Prime Minister's girlfriend?" Mark asked placing himself beside me.

"I think it is." I said and looked at him. "Got something to tell your Mum now!"

"Yeah." He said and put an arm around me casually. "Ready to meet Aurelia?"

I nodded and together we walked over to say hello to Jamie and his fiancée.

"Here she is. This is Aurelia." Jamie said with a look at Juliet and Peter. Apparently he hadn't noticed Mark and me yet. "This is Juliet. This is Peter." He continued and the couple shook hands with Aurelia. She looked beautiful. Her hair was long and dark, and the smile on her face looked genuine.

"Mark! Anna! Didn't see you there!" Jamie said with a look behind Juliet and Peter. Mark removed his arm to shake Aurelia's hand.

"Just thought we'd come along." He said and smiled dragging me forwards to shake her hand as well.

"Jamie's friends are so good-looking." Aurelia said with a smile at both Mark and Peter. "He never tells me this. I think maybe now I made the wrong choice. Picked the wrong Englishman!" She joked and made us all smile. She obviously didn't speak English fluently yet, so it was rather impressing that she was already able to joke.

"She can't speak English properly!" Jamie said and looked at her fondly. No doubt they already loved each other very much. It was quite romantic, actually.

"What's happening over there?" Peter asked as we walked back through the airport. A lot of photographers were gathered, and curiosity soon took over Juliet.

"I'll go have a look." She said and dragged me along. "Want to come, Aurelia?"

"Yes. Sure." She replied and let go of Jamie's hand. The guys laughed at us, and Mark shouted that it was probably because of the Prime Minister. We ignored him and went as close as we could, watching out for celebrities.

It turned out to be Billy Mack – the singer with the horrible Christmas song that I had come to almost detest from hearing it too often this December.

"Do you think we can get autographs?" Juliet asked and made me shake my head. She was a bit more interested in this stuff than I was. But maybe I should get an autograph for Mark's Mum?

"Who is he?" Aurelia asked.

"Billy Mack. He's a singer, and he used to be much-admired, and it seems he is again." I replied not understanding why.

"What music he plays?" Aurelia asked next. I couldn't help smiling at her English. I didn't mean it in any bad way. She just sounded so funny.

"I think you'd call it 'pop'." I replied. "He used to play rock, if I remember correctly."

"He did." Juliet said obviously giving up on getting an autograph. "But I loved his new single. The Christmas one."

I didn't share my opinion on him with her and Aurelia. There was no need to.

"A Billy Mack fan, are you?" A voice said and made me turn around. Immediately my heart began beating faster. It was Nick. The man who had made me spill my coffee.

"Not really." I replied not daring to look at Juliet. I knew she'd be smiling widely, and if I looked at her I would do the same. "We were just being curious."

"Oh, excuse me." Nick said looking at something behind Anna. "I just got to…" He pointed his head towards the people coming from the plane. "You won't go anywhere, will you?"

"Depends on how long I'll have to wait." I said with a smile at him.

He put a hand on my shoulder and I felt a tickle inside. "It won't take long. Please stay, okay? I'll need your number so I can buy you that cup of coffee!" With that he left to go find whoever he was to pick up.

"He is your boy friend?" Aurelia asked and made me blush.

"Not yet." Juliet said teasingly and made me blush even more. "They just met today, but he's already crazy about her!"

"Juliet, come on!" I complained and searched for Nick as he had disappeared in the crowd. I saw a familiar guy, though I didn't remember where I had seen him before. He looked sort of odd with yellow sunglasses in the middle of the winter, but the girl by his side was very beautiful, even though she was wearing a red stetson. But they weren't the ones Nick was there to pick up, so I kept looking.

I finally found him and felt a little disappointed. The person he was here to pick up was a girl around my age. They hugged and looked very happy to see each other.

"I doubt he'll remember me now, anyway." I told Juliet disappointedly. "The others are waiting, maybe we should…"

"He's coming back!" Juliet said and left dragging Aurelia along with her. I only reached to send her a sarcastic thank-you-very-much look before Nick was standing before me again.

"I told you it wouldn't take long." He said and grabbed the girl's arm in order to make her face me. She was really beautiful with her long, blond hair and her blue eyes. She looked a lot like…

"This is my sister Tanya." Nick said and introduced us. "This is Anna, and I don't know her!" He said with a smile and a twinkle.

"Nice to meet you." Tanya said a little shyly.

"You too." I said and shook her hand feeling very relieved. Don't ask me why. She was Nick's sister and Nick was just a guy I didn't know. A handsome guy I didn't know, but still just a guy.

"So…I owe you a cup of coffee…" Nick began with a look at me. Then he looked at Tanya. "I'm such a clown. I made her spill her hot coffee all over her jersey."

"Well, you ought to buy her a new jersey, then." Tanya said with a teasing smile at her brother. "Or at least wash the one with the coffee for her!"

"I wanted to, but she wouldn't let me." Nick said with a warm look at me.

"You never offered to wash it for me!" I said pretending to be offended, though not enough to make him believe I really _was_ offended.

"Well, if you'll let me, I'll have it washed and dried by tomorrow!"

"Nick's one of the few men who actually knows how to do laundry." Tanya said looking sort of proud. There was no doubt that brother and sister cared a lot for each other.

"Can I have your word on that?" I asked looking at Nick with a constant smile on my face.

"Of course you can…If I can have your number!"

"You'll have to, won't you?" I said not able to take my eyes off of him. "If you intend to call me about that cup of coffee."

"Sure I do." He replied and found a pen and a small note book from the inside pocket of his jacket. "What is it?"

I gave him my number, though I could hardly believe me doing so.

"Anna, are you coming?" I heard Mark's voice from somewhere behind me. I turned around and saw four smiling faces and one sulky. The sulky one was Mark's.

"I…eh…I'd better…" I said and pointed my thumb in direction of my friends.

"I'll call you!" Nick said as I turned around to leave him and his sister.

"Okay." I said not knowing what else to say. I felt rather dizzy and woozy, though I didn't know why.

"Anna!" Nick's voice stopped me before I was too far away. I turned around to face him and Tanya again.

"Your jersey."

"What about it?" I asked not feeling well, though I didn't feel bad, either.

"I meant it. I'll wash it for you."

"Oh." I said and went back to give it to him. "Thanks." I couldn't help smiling, and neither could he. Neither could Juliet, Peter, Jamie, and Aurelia, which I noticed when I went back to go home with them.

All the way back Juliet talked about how gorgeous Nick was, and how much she hoped to see him again. Though it should have been the other way around, Peter laughed heartily and Mark looked very annoyed the more Juliet spoke about Nick. I really didn't get it. Mark had just told me he was getting over Juliet, and still he freaked out over her speaking of another guy. In my opinion he was taking it a bit too far, but I couldn't exactly tell him while everyone listened. I just chose not to worry. I was feeling good, and for once I didn't want to have that feeling spoiled by Mark feeling bad because of Juliet. _I_ was getting over _him_, too.

* * *

A/N: The song _I Wish Every Day Could Be Like Christmas_ was written by rock musician Jon Bon Jovi and performed by the band Bon Jovi and is in no way of my property.

I don't remember what David Beckham's hair looked like around Christmas 2003, but in this story it was very, very short. As was Michael Owen's. I do believe the latter's hair _was_ at that time and still _is_ so short, though.


	7. New Year's Kiss

A/N: Yes, I know. I _so _don't deserve that anyone reads this. I've been gone for something like...four months! I'm terribly sorry, but things haven't exactly gone my way. I hope to be able to update once more this week, but I can't promise anything. I just hope you haven't all given up on me yet. Anyway, I've added individual replies at the bottom (one thing I've always hoped to get reviews enough to be able to do), and if I've forgotten anyone,then please let me know by sending me an angry e-mail, okay? I'll make sure to remember you next time. Oh, by the way...I've only replied to the ones who've reviewed since my last update, but from now on I'll do it every time. At least I shall try to!

Okay, enough of this. Let's get on with the story. Let me present: Chapter Seven!

- Miss Sofie

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* * *

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**Chapter Seven – New Year's Kiss**

My surprise was big when I got a phone call the next day. It was around noon when Nick called me, and at first I didn't even know who _Nick_ was. Not until he told me he had already washed and dried my jersey.

"Oh _that_ Nick!" I exclaimed without meaning to. "I almost forgot."

"Sounds like I didn't get off to a very good start yesterday." He said but failed to sound as sad as he obviously tried to.

"No, not at all." I said and didn't know how to continue. Since the mention of my jersey I hadn't been able to think of anything but talking to him in the airport.

"I'm glad you say so. Listen, I owe you a cup of coffee…"  
"Could we have that later today?" I burst out cutting off his sentence. "Otherwise it'll have to wait till after New Year."

"That was exactly what I was going to suggest. How does three o' clock at Emery's sound?"

"That sounds perfect!" I said with a dreamy expression on my face and was glad he couldn't see me through the phone.

"Great, I'll see you then."

"Yeah, see you." I replied and hung up. Then I threw myself on the couch, throwing a pillow into the air above me. I couldn't believe myself acting this childish, but I blamed it on Nick being a real charmer. That wasn't my fault, was it?

I didn't reach thinking more about it, as the phone rang again. I reached out for the receiver as fast as I could, knocking over a vase with old, withered flowers on the way.

"Yes?" I said trying to control my breath as I thought it was Nick calling me again.

"Hi Anna. What's up with your breath?" Mark's voice sounded from the other end of the line.

"Oh, hi Mark." I said and breathed in. "I just thought it was Nick calling me again."

"Nick? Not the guy from the airport, is it?"

"Yes, the guy from the airport. We're going out today."

"Wow, don't you think you should take it a little slower? I mean, you've only just met him. Going out with him sounds like…"

"We're only going to have a cup of coffee. It's not a dinner date or anything."

"Are you sure it'd be wise to go alone? Why don't you bring Juliet? Or I could go with you, if you'd like."

"Mark!" I exclaimed rolling my eyes. "I'm a grown girl! I can take care of myself! Besides, what could possibly happen? Nick seems like a nice guy."

"Yes…There was just something about him, I didn't like. He looked sort of…repellent to me."

"It'll be alright, Mark. It's sweet of you to worry, but it's not necessary."

"But let me at least walk you to…where are you going to meet him?"

"Emery's."

"Then let me at least walk you there."

"O…kay?!" I said wondering what he wanted that for.

"I just need to talk to you about something, and I don't wanna tell you over the phone."

"Alright. Be here twenty to three, and we'll walk to Emery's together. Unless you wanna come over earlier, of course?"

"No. No, it's fine. See ya!"

"Yup." I replied and put down the receiver. Mark sure was acting weird these days!

---

"You let your hair down!" Mark said as the first thing when we met outside my apartment.

"Yeah. Am I wearing too much make-up?" I asked nervously. Not nervous because of Mark, of course, but because I would be meeting Nick again in less than 30 minutes.

"Why wear make-up at all? Isn't it just a cup of coffee?"

"Yes, but I'd still like to look nice. Besides, I wear make-up every day. You just don't notice because you're a man."

"Ouch!" He said with a small smile. "But you look lovely. You always do."

I replied by smiling at him, but instead of smiling back, he just frowned.

"So, what is it you want to talk to me about?" I asked taking his arm in mine. For some reason I was feeling extraordinarily well in spite of Mark's frowning.

"My grandma. She's getting worse. I got a call from Mum this morning. She said that Grandma was hallucinating. She had spoken to both you and me all night."

My good mood disappeared at once. "I'm sorry to hear that. Didn't they call for a doctor?"

"Yes, and he gave her some kind of tranquillizer. She fell asleep a quarter past six this morning. Mum hadn't slept all night either."

"So, are you going back there to see her?"

"I don't know. She was still asleep when Mum called me, but if she gets worse, I may spend my New Year's Eve with them."

"I hope you won't have to." I said and gave his arm a little squeeze. "I would hate not to celebrate it with you."

"You know," he said already in a better mood, "you wouldn't have to. You could come with me to Milton Keynes!"

"As if!" I said exclaimed with a smile. "We've spent all our New Year parties getting hammered somewhere in London. Do you really think I'd change that for your sake?!"

"I know you would!" He said and pinched my side. I gave a little scream and jumped to the side, but he just laughed at me, obviously having forgotten about his grandma again.

He kept his good mood all the way to Emery's.

---

Nick was waiting for me outside the café, when we got there. His cheeks were pink from standing outside in the cold December air, and he looked very happy at the chance of getting inside soon.

"Hello Anna." He said and smiled at me. Then he reached out his hand to Mark. "I'm Nick."

"Mark." Mark muttered and shook Nick's hand. Then he looked at me. "Well…I'd better…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but he nodded his head in direction of the road to tell me what he meant.

"Okay." I replied and felt sorry for him because he had to walk back alone. "Thanks."

"You're welcome!" He replied and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Then he turned to Nick. "You take care of her, or else…"

"Mark!" I hissed in a whisper. "It's just a cup of coffee!"

"Of course I shall!" Nick said and took my arm. "Let's go inside, shall we?"

I gave Mark a smile as we left him, and followed Nick inside.

"He's a little overprotective, isn't he?" Nick asked while pulling out a chair for me. "Is he your brother?"

"Mark? No, he's been my best friend since kindergarten." I told Nick and took off my gloves and scarf. "I guess he _is_ protective of me. I think he sees me as his sister."

"That's good. I was afraid he was wooing you!"

"Certainly not!" I said and wanted to change topics. It was kind of flattering, but it made my cheeks turn pink.

To my great relief Nick changed topics before I had a chance to do so.

"So, what would you like to have with the coffee?" He asked and handed me the menu.

Within five minutes I had begun relaxing and feeling comfortable in his company. Nick gave me the best afternoon that I had had in a very long time. He was witty and funny, and he made me forget about my troubles for a few hours. Though we did nothing but talk, I was in the seventh heaven when we parted outside the café. He gave me a hug, and tried nothing more, which was new to me. But it was a good feeling. I could hardly wait to tell the others about him on New Year's Eve!

---

New Year's Eve at Peter and Juliet's place started out really nice. We were six people there (as Jamie and Aurelia had said yes to coming in spite of the short notice), and we were sitting in couples (well, except that Mark and I weren't a couple). Everybody was in high spirits and enjoying themselves, until Juliet got curious and started asking me questions.

"Well…?" She began, probably expecting me to know what she was talking about.

"What?" I asked and stuffed another piece of my baked potato into my mouth. Then I looked up at her and saw the twinkle in her eye.

"Has Nick called you yet?"

"Uh-huh." I said trying not to talk too much with my mouth filled with food.

"And?"

"She's already been out with him." Mark explained for me and looked at Juliet with a look of despair on his face. I couldn't believe that he wouldn't give her up. He was obviously still longing for her.

"You have?" Juliet exclaimed with a bright smile at me. "How did it go? What's he like? Is he as sweet as he seems?"

Mark gave a little laugh. "Peter! Control your woman. She's almost drooling!"

"No. She's not drooling over anybody but me!" Peter said and shot Juliet a smile. She replied by kissing him and, thereby, making Mark look away.

"Actually, Juliet, now that you're asking…" I began with a small laugh, purposefully interrupting their kissing. "…He _is_ as nice as you thought he'd be, and I…uh…kind of promised him we'd come to _Stairs_ after midnight."

"Why did you do that?" Mark asked in an annoyed tone. "Who said the rest of us want to go there?"

"You don't have to. I can go alone."

"Come one, "Jamie tried, "what's wrong with _Stairs_? Did you have other plans?"

"No, but she can't just go around planning New Year's Eve for us. She didn't _know_ if we had other plans!"

Peter gave Mark a rather cold glare. "But we haven't, so why don't we just all go there?"

"Yeah, when Anna so obviously wants to meet Nick tonight, I don't see why we can't help her accomplish that."

"Thanks." I said silently without looking at Mark. He, on the other hand, didn't stay silent.

"But Anna always gets things the way she wants them! Why…"

"Don't you think you're being a bit childish now?" I said furiously looking into Mark's eyes. He seemed hurt.

"Fine, do whatever you want!" He said and asked for the pasta salad. In a low voice he added: "As long as you won't go alone."

So that was what this was all about. He was still being protective of me. It was kind of sweet, actually, and I couldn't stay annoyed with him. Instead I gave his arm a little squeeze to make him know it was alright, and though he didn't reply, I could tell from the look on his face that it made him feel a little better.

"But what's he like?" Juliet asked when all the dishes had been round again. Everyone knew who she was talking about, though she didn't say Nick's name.

"He's…something special." I began. He's 28 years old, he's teaching economy at the university…"

"He sounds a little too young for that." Juliet interrupted.

"He sounds a little too boring!" Peter said with a smile at Mark. The latter laughed along with Peter, and Jamie gave a little laugh as well.

"Oh, shut up, Peter!" Juliet said smilingly and gave her husband's arm a loving slap.

"Well, he's not boring at all." I continued. "He's a diver as well, though not a professional, and he loves children…"

"She's already thinking about having children with him?!" Jamie interrupted and made the other guys laugh again. Aurelia nudged his side. She didn't say much, as she was still not so acquainted with the language.

"Anyway," I raised my voice though not in any angry way, "he's a huge fan of Arsenal, and…"

"Nooo!" Peter exclaimed followed by a "Jesus!" from Jamie. Mark just laughed to himself.

"What's so funny?" I asked instead of telling the other two guys to shut up.

"Nothing." He replied still smiling. "I just knew there was something wrong about him. I just knew it!"

"Come on!" I said and rolled my eyes. "There are other things in life than soccer!"

"There are?" Peter and Jamie said at the same time. Mark just kept laughing.

I was glad to see that his mood was getting better.

---

"Anna, it's almost midnight!" I heard Juliet's voice from outside the bathroom. I was beginning to feel a little drunk, though not as much as I usually did on New Year's Eve. Anyway, there'd be plenty of chances later. Champagne, for instance, was coming my way!

"Yes, I'm coming." I said and washed my hands. My reflection in the mirror made me laugh, as I was almost covered in confetti and paper chains.

"Anna, are you coming?" Mark's voice made me turn away from the mirror. As I unlocked the door, it flung open. Obviously, he had been trying to open the door right before I turned the key. He was too drunk to realize that it had been locked.

"We need you out there. The countdown has begun." He said and flung his arm around me. "You wouldn't wanna miss it, would you?"

"Of course not." I said and laughed at him while supporting him with my arm. This time he was the one being too drunk.

"Mark! Anna! Hurry up!" Juliet almost screamed. "Eight seconds left!"

"We're coming!" Mark shouted right into my ear. I was about to scold him, when his hand found mine and his fingers found their way in between _my_ fingers as.

"Mark, what're you doing?" I asked suddenly feeling very sober. I hesitated for a moment, which was enough for him to stop and turn around.

"Four! Three! Two! One!" We heard the others shout from the TV-room. As the bells began to ring, Mark pulled me close and kissed me on the mouth. I was so surprised that I fought my way out of his arms and just stared at him.

"Happy New Year!" Was all he said. Then he threw himself into an arm chair and fell asleep!

---

Juliet, Peter, and I went to _Stairs_ about 1:30. Mark had been placed on the couch, and even being moved hadn't woken him. Jamie and Aurelia had stayed with him. They were both rather tired after the trip back to England after Christmas.

Peter and Juliet were in great moods, but mine was kind of spoiled. I knew Mark only meant to give me a New Year's kiss, but it came quite in the way now that I had met Nick. I really liked Nick, and being reminded of my love for Mark the past years kind of distracted me. I so hoped to meet Nick again. He seemed so perfect in any aspect, and he was, without a doubt, the best suggestion for a soul mate that I had ever been out with. Blown away were the thoughts of Nathan, Paul and whatever their names were. Nick was different. He seemed more…genuine, in a way. I can't explain what it was. We sort of just…harmonized.

"Isn't that…" Juliet interrupted my thoughts and pointed her head in direction of the entrance.

"Nick!" I exclaimed in a whisper as I saw him entering. He hadn't seen me yet.

He was looking really great in a light beige suit and a black shirt. His tie was some kind of New Year's tie, but I couldn't see from the distance, what was one it. I just hoped it wouldn't be a naked woman. I so hated those ties!

"Well? Aren't you going to say hi to him?" Juliet asked impatiently. I think she was almost more exited than I was. Though I'm not sure it's possible.

"I'll go talk to him." I assured her. "In a minute."

"Chicken!" Peter said with a smile at me, as Juliet pushed me in Nick's direction.

The latter's face lightened up as he saw me, and it was obvious that he was saying my name, though the music was too loud for me to hear him say it. He came over to me and gave me a big hug, wishing me a Happy New Year.

"You too." I replied and didn't know what to do.

"Did you have a nice evening so far?" He then asked. It was rather obvious that he, too, didn't know what else to talk about.

"Yes, I did." I replied looking at my feet. Then I screwed up my courage and looked him in the eyes. "And it just got even better!"

He smiled at me for a while without saying anything, and I was afraid I had made a huge mistake.

"Yeah. Mine too." He finally said and made me start breathing again. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Oh no! Here we go.

"Yes, please." I replied and let him choose for me. "If I can have a dance later."

"Of course you can." He said with another smile and put his arm around me. Then he moved a little closer. "You look so beautiful tonight!"

---

Needless to say: I got drunk!

Not so drunk that I became embarrassing, and not so drunk that I couldn't walk straight, but drunk enough to flirt and dance all night long.

Nick was perfect. He danced with me and bought me drinks, and he made sure I had a nice time all night long at the night club. I barely spoke to Juliet and Peter, but as they were wrapped up in each other anyway, it was fine with them.

Once in a while, though, Juliet would come up to me and ask me how things were going. She seemed to like Nick a lot, and he did act like a gentleman towards both her and Peter. And, of course, towards me.

When the clock stroke five in the morning, _Happy New Year_ by Abba had been played far too many times, and everybody was thrown out of the club, I felt as if we had just left Juliet and Peter's home. I didn't want to go home yet.

"Can't we stay a little longer?" I asked Nick, who brought me my coat.

"No." He laughed and had that expression on his face that told me he thought I was being cute. "They're closing now, and you should get home to bed."

I was about to ask if he'd come with me, but then I changed my mind. Nick was not like that. I didn't want to be like that. This had to be different.

"Why don't we go find a baker and bring some breakfast home with us?" I suddenly asked and found it a rather good idea. I had no ulterior motives at all. I just felt like sharing that moment with Nick on New Year's Morning.

"And what home would we bring that to?" He asked a little suspiciously.

"To mine." I said naively. "Please?"

"I don't think I can eat anything." He replied to my big disappointment. "But I'll walk you home, if you'd like."

"It's too far." I said and found my purse. "I'll just take a taxi."

He put his hand on mine, making me lower my purse. "I'll take care of that. If you'll get hold of a taxi, I'll be right there with you."

I couldn't help feeling a bit excited on our way to my place. I still hadn't decided whether I wanted to invite Nick inside or not, but I thought I'd better do so, as he was nice enough come with me in the taxi. I think that I already knew inside that I didn't feel like sleeping with him, but I didn't want him to go away either. I think it was that last fear that made me ask if he wanted to come up with me. We were standing outside the taxi, which Nick hadn't paid for yet.

"Anna…" He began, and immediately my heart began beating faster. "I really like you…"

I knew what was coming. He didn't want to see me again. I had heard that line so many times before.

"…but I'd like for us to take it slowly." He finished his sentence. "I want this to be perfect. It won't be if we rush it."

"Okay." I said in relief. _He liked me!_ He liked me, he liked me, he liked me! No…He _really_ liked me!

"I hope you'll still want to see me?" His voice was rather thin.

I nodded. The sky above was clouded and smoky from all the fireworks, the street was noisy because of all the traffic, and there was a taxi hooting next to us. This was, without a doubt, the most romantic moment of my life!

Okay, so I was drunk, but it _was_ romantic when Nick kissed me. He didn't kiss me long or passionately, but he placed a soft, little kiss on my lips before letting go of my hands. I hadn't noticed him taking my hands in the first place, as I had been so absorbed in him. I still was.

"I'll call you tomorrow." He said and brushed a lock of hair away from my face. "Goodnight, Anna."

"Goodnight." I replied, not really realizing what had just been going on. I just knew it felt good. Then he got into the taxi, waved from the window and disappeared from my sight.

That was, without comparison, the best New Year's Eve I had ever had!

* * *

A/N: _Emery's_ is not at all of my invention. Don't know who owns _Emery's_, but all credits goes to him, her, or them!

The song _Happy New Year_ is by Abba, and I sing along to it every New Year's Eve. Apart from that I have no claim on it at all. It's all Abba's!

I promise that the story won't continue with all these parties and all the getting drunk. This may, actually, be the last party they go to in this story!

**cornishxxxpie:** Thanks. Mission accomplished. Story updated as you wished for! :-)

**Julie-xjes:** Thanks Julie, it's been nice talking to you again. Once you'll get the time - read on. You'll like it. Still waitin' for those English fics of yours! ;-)

**Shushimi:** Thanx very much. Hope you're still with me!

**Avadriel:** Thanks for the super-duper splendiferously nice review. That really meant something!

**Lullaby87:** Don't worry, I haven't stopped writing, though it may seem like it. I'm just a very busy persona. Thanks for liking this!

**Ane:** You're very welcome! And, please, _do_ tell all of your friends to read this as well! Sorry to say this, but you may not like this chapter because of Nick. But thanks for liking and reviewing so far!

**deemarie:** Well, worry on, then! ;-) They won't get together yet, but please read on and find out if or when they do. Thanx so much!

**Dawnie-7:** Thanx a trillion times!!! Needless to write a long thank you here, 'cause you already know how much I appreciate you!

- Miss Sofie


	8. Making Friends

A/N: Hello there! As always, I've been taking very long to update. I'm sorry, 'bout that, but I still hope to be able to update more frequently in the future. I definitely won't give this story up, so please stay with me, won't you!

Anyway, before you read this I want you to know that I hold nothing against gays whatsoever. Someone says something in this chapter, which isn't very nice, but thecharacter is just angry and uses an expression that I, personally, don't approve of. Just wanted you to know so you won't think I hate people who are not like me.

Read and enjoy, and I'd appreciate it very much if you'd review too. Individual replies at the bottom.

Miss Sofie**

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**

**Chapter Eight – Making Friends**

When I woke up the next morning (well…noon) the first thing I thought about was my head aching. The thing about it was that it didn't ache as much as it usually did after a night out. For a moment it made me afraid. What if I had become an alcoholic and therefore couldn't feel the hangover anymore? Go ahead and laugh at me, but how was I supposed to know better, when I wasn't entirely sober yet?

Anyway, something else quickly popped up in my mind. The kiss. The perfect, wonderful, never-experienced-before kiss! I am, of course talking about the kiss that Nick gave me. It had felt so good and so perfect that I was sure I'd want to try it again. That, too, was a new feeling.

The kiss that Mark gave me, on the other hand, I didn't know what to make of. I was pretty sure that he had only meant to give me a friendly peek on the cheek, but he had missed his target in his drunken state. I admit, it had taken my breath away, but then again, I had been a bit drunk myself. The adrenaline that had rushed through my body had probably just been a cause of alcohol, the new year approaching, and excitement about meeting Nick later. Because I _had_ been excited about meeting Nick later. And I was still thrilled about the kiss. It gave me butterflies in my stomach, and it made me jump out of bed, grap my phone and call Mark!

"Mark!" I exclaimed as he said hello, sounding very, very tired and ill.

"Good morning to you too, Anna!" He said sarcastically and made me laugh.

"What're you doing today?" I asked feeling full of life despite my head-ache.

"Sleeping my hangover away."

"Oh." I said not understanding why he wasn't feeling as good as I was.

"Why do you sound so happy? Did I miss something last night?"

"A lot!" I replied with a big smile on my face, which he, of course, couldn't see.

"Why don't you call me tonight and tell me about it?" He asked, sounding as if he was about to hang up.

"Nope. Won't do. I'll buy you breakfast at McDonald's in half an hour."

"You're nuts, Anna!"

"Why? What's wrong with McDonald's like all of a sudden?"

"Nothing's wrong with McDonald's, but…breakfast?"

"Alright, then. We'll find something else. Lets go see what Peter and Juliet are doing today."

"I'd say they're sleeping."

"I'd say they're cleaning the house. We ought to go help them. Meet me there in 30 minutes and I'll bring the breakfast."  
"But Anna…"

"Good, see you! Bye!"

He didn't get a chance to say no.

---

Peter and Juliet had already cleaned the house when we got there. They had been up for quite a while, and Juliet had been about to call me when we entered the apartment without ringing the door bell.

"I was just wondering whether you would be with Nick this morning or not!" Juliet teased instead of saying hello.

"Ha ha!" I laughed sarcastically, but I couldn't help smiling.

"So? What happened?" She asked, getting up from the couch. Peter and Mark sad down, switching on the tv.

"Not much." I smiled happily.

"Then why're you smiling? Are you in love?"

"No!" I said and rolled my eyes. "I barely know the man!"

"But do you want to see him again?"

"Very much so." I admitted. "He kissed me goodbye!"

"And he didn't…want more?"

"Nope. He's not like that. He wants to take it slowly."

"There's something seriously wrong with that man!" Peter interfered with a small laugh. "Right, Mark?"

"Sure." Mark said and concetrated on some show on tv. He obviously didn't care.

"He sounds so perfect!" Juliet sighed. "I'd wish he was…"

"You'd wish what?" Peter objected from the couch.

"I'd wish that he and Anna would get together. For real. He sounds like such a good guy."

"But, honestly, he's white!" Peter smiled and took Juliets hand. He pulled her near and gave her a kiss. "And we all know that white men aren't to be trusted!"

Mark gave Peter's side a punch, and the latter let go of Juliet to throw the remote control at Mark.

I didn't see what happened next, as my phone rang and it took me a while to find it in my purse. It was Nick.

"Hello, Anna, how are you feeling today?" He said without saying his name.

"Wonderful!" I said and left the living room. "What about you?"

"The same. Except…"

"What? I asked and thought that he had regretted kissing me."

"I can't see you anywhere around. It feels…wrong."

"It does?" I asked teasingly. My eyes were shining and my lips turned into a big smile.

"Yeah. But I know what to do about it!"  
"You do? What?"

"I've got VIP tickets for the match between Arsenal and United this afternoon. What'd you say?"

"'United' as in '_Manchester _United'?"

"Yes."

"She didn't ask that. She did _not_ ask that!" I heard Peter's amused voice from the other room.

"Are you listening?" I yelled back and closed the door.

"Who's that?" Nick asked curiously. "Mark?"  
"No, it was Peter. I'm at his and Juliet's place. So I'm afraid I can't come with you to that match."

"Why don't you bring them?"

"Really? Do you mean that?" I asked and wondered if he wanted to see them or me.

"Sure. I'd so like to see you again soon, and I can get tickets for the others as well. How many are there?"

"Are you serious? Peter and Mark would be thrilled. I would too, of course, but that'd be to see you. We're four, by the way. Five with you."

"Fine, I'll call my uncle and get some more tickets."

"Your uncle? What's he got to do with it?"

"He's a lawyer, and one of the players owes him a BIG favour!"

"Really? Who?" I asked curiously.

"Nah-ah, I'm not going to tell you any names! But should I pick you up before we go?"

"I think I'll just go with the others. Let's meet outside instead."

"Okay, at two o' clock."

"That'll be fine. See you then."

"Definitely."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up.

"Hey? Guys? Know where we'll be going today?"

---

The place outside the stadium was filled with people wearing red clothes, banners, scarfs, hats, flags, and beers (the beers weren't red, though).

Arriving just one hour before kick-off wasn't the smartest thing to do when hoping to find a place to park your car. We were lucky, though, and very close to the entrance, between an Audi and a Mercedes, Mark lurked his old Volkswagen in, though only when the rest of us had gotten out. I wondered what the people, who owned the expensive cars would say, but Mark didn't care, as long as no one would scratch his car!

"Isn't that your boyfriend?" Mark asked and nodded towards a spot to the right of the entrance.

"He's not my boyfriend, but yes, it's Nick." I replied and felt a little annoyed, though also excited. I gave a little wave at him, and he saw me immediately. He came over and gave me a small kiss on the cheek, before shaking hands with the others. For some reason I felt really proud.

He was wearing his Arsenal gear, and he looked totally different from the Nick I had danced with at the club last night. But his smile was the same, and so was his whisper when he told me he had missed me. I beamed and didn't notice Mark offer him to borrow a Manchester United scarf, until Nick said no thanks and lent Mark his Arsenal scarf instead. The latter put it in his pocket and said that at least there'd be one scarf less of the enemy.

I took it out of his pocket and put it around my neck, which caused Nick to take my hand and give me a quick kiss on the cheek. I should've known it'd annoy Mark. He was very comitted to Manchester United, and he had always tried to make me a fan. The truth is that I didn't really care who won, except when the national team was playing. I only wore the scarf to wear something that belonged to Nick. Crazy, I know, but I liked the feeling.

As Nick had promised, we had VIP tickets. It meant that apart from all the rich, anonymous people around there were also famous ones. For instance, next to Nick, was the Prime Minister and his girlfriend. I had never been so close to anyone famous before, but it didn't seem to impress Nick. It impressed him more that I had done my own hair, which was, to be honest, just put up very quickly before I had left home. Juliet had lent me some small, silver butterflies to put into my hair, and they seemed to fascinate Nick very much. At least he didn't notice when that girl we had seen in the papers so many times since Christmas sat down next to him. She looked even prettier in real life, but she also looked a bit more chubby up close. I liked the fact that she wasn't perfect. It somehow made me feel better. Don't ask me why, but isn't that just the way of women? We hate when other women are perfect, and we love it when it appears that the perfect ones have flaws too. At least that's how I feel. Call me mean, if you'd like. I can't help it!

There was a lot of shouting and singing once the match begun (well, there had been singing already when we got there). It was quite fun to sit between an Arsenal fan and a Manchester United fan. I was sitting between Mark and Nick, and whenever one of them would applause, the other one would complain.

In the beginning it was just fun. Then it became annoying, and when Arsenal got a penalty, it turned out to be embarrassing!

Nick got up and shouted "Penalty!" (As if the referee could hear him, and as if he would care if he could!), Mark got up and shouted "Stupid referee!" (He _did_ use quite a stronger expression, which I won't be repeating here!), and Peter got up letting out an "Oh, man!", his forehead frowning in annoyance.

"Hell it wasn't a penalty!" Mark said with a mean glare at Nick.

"Are you blind?" Nick replied and sat down again. Mark and Peter followed his example. I just shrank in my seat.

"No, but I think _you_ are!" Mark muttered and looked back to the field. One of the players from Arsenal was about to take the penalty.

"YES!" Nick shouted and got up as the ball passed the goal keeper and flew right into the corner of the goal. A lot of similar shouts were heard, as well as other kinds of cheering all around the stadium.

Mark got up with eyes wide in disbelief, then he turned to Nick.

"They so did not deserve that. They've been playing like girls for the past 65 minutes!"

"I don't think so." Nick replied, trying not to get into a fight with Mark.

"I don't get how you can be a fan of those gays!" The latter continued with a scowl.

"Mark!" I reprimanded, but he didn't seem to hear me.

Nick squeezed my hand a bit and ignored Mark. Then he gave me a kiss, this time on the mouth, and I forgot all about Mark being rude. That is, until I heard him speak again.

"But maybe you _are_ one of those gays!" He said and made me and Nick stop kissing. Nick jumped up from his seat, towering over Mark, who was sitting down again.

"You listen to me now…" He began, and Mark rose from his seat as well. The two men were looking into each others' eyes as madmen. Mark was the smallest of them, though, and I couldn't help suppressing a smile, though I didn't like what was going on. It looked so funny that Mark, who was so small compared to Nick (who wasn't a giant, but he was much more muscular and fit than Mark), tried to stand up to him.

"Okay, guys, calm down!" Juliet said and took a grip of Mark's arm. He didn't react to that.

"Are you saying that I'm gay?" Nick asked furiously, his face very close to Mark's. He had to look a little downwards to look him in the eyes.

"No, I'm just suggesting that you may be!" Mark replied, not blinking his eyes once, though he was staring into Nick's.

"Mark, sit down!" I said and tried to make both of them sit down by pulling their shirts. "Nick, please…!"

"Excuse me, but would you care to go get beers for us?" A voice interrupted next to Nick. We all looked at the man who had spoken and were very surprised to see that it was our Prime Minister. "I would, of course, pay for all of yours as well."

The look on his face was serious, and he did not hesitate to take out his wallet.

"How much will you need? You can have a hot dog too, if you want."

"Thanks, but…" Nick said and looked confused.

"It's just that I…" The Prime Minister said and lowered his voice, making Nick bow to come closer. "…I don't feel like dealing with a lot of curious people and questions today, and I'd have to if I went to get those beers myself."

"Oh, of course." Nick said and straightened up.

"And bring the Manchester United fan along. He's a bit noisy!" He gave a smile and pressed some money into Nick's hand. The latter still looked confused, but he did as he was told, dragging Mark along in his scarf. Peter got up and followed as well.

"Thank you." I said gratefully. It was the most effective way I had ever seen a man solve a fight.

"For what? I really _could_ use a beer after that New Year's Eve we had!"

"He's not sober yet!" The girl, whose name I still didn't remember, confided in a low voice. "He's only trying to postpone the hangover."

"Oh. I see." I said with a smile and felt like confiding in her, too. "You know what men can be like when they watch soccer, right?"

"Oh yes!" She said knowingly. "My ex-boyfriend always got into a fight after the match. I hated it. It was so humiliating. But David's not like that. It's not like he has the choice, actually. He has to stay calm and friendly wherever he goes. Sometimes it's a bit boring, but I'm okay with it."

"But at least he won't humiliate you." I said with a smile.

"Well, no. _He_ won't. But people stare at us. It's rather freeky. It's like my life's been turned upside down since I met David. Nothing's the same anymore."

"Don't you think it's because you're in love?" I asked and smiled at her naiveté. There was something innocent about her.

"Maybe it is, 'cause I am very much in love."

"That's good. That's really good. Love is a good thing."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it? Is the handsome mand between us your boyfriend? He seems to be very fond of you."

"No, not really. We just met. This is only our third date."

"Oh, so you've still got a lot to learn about each other! That's always the nice part, don't you think?"

"Perhaps." I replied trying to avoid to answer. I couldn't really tell. I had never gotten any further with a guy than getting to know him.

"At least my ex was only fun to be with until I got to know him. David's not like that."

"I'm sure he's not." I said and made space for Nick, who came back with Mark and Peter and a lot of beers and hot dogs.

Right before Nick sat down, the girl, whose name I suddenly remembered was Natalie, leaned over to say something to me.

"Thanks for the chat. I'm sorry, but I always talk so much. I got it from my Mum. She talks too much, too."

"It's okay." I smiled and took the beer that Nick handed me. "Feel free to talk as much as you like!"

Nick sat down between us and thereby ended our discussion.

---

When the match was over (Arsenal won by one, which annoyed Mark more than he would tell), Nick offered to drive me home. I wanted him to, but I had also gone to the stadium with the others, so I didn't really know whether I should say yes or no. You may think that this was just a minor thing, but with Mark's bad mood I wasn't sure how he'd take it. He definitely wasn't too fond of Nick, and so it might start a new fight if I went with him. I told Nick it'd be better if he drove me home some other time, and he understood but insisted on walking me to Mark's car.

"I thought you were going with Nick." Mark stated when we reached the car. Nick and I had walked a little behind the others, holding hands.

"But I thought you'd prefer me not to!" I said puzzled. I noticed the Audi next to Mark's car being unlocked, though I couldn't see the owner yet.

"I don't care." Mark said indifferently and got into his car.

"Well, okay…if you're sure." I said and reached over him to take the jacket I had left in the car. I could smell vaguely that he was wearing the aftershave that I had helped Juliet find for him at Christmas.

"Sure." He said and closed the door. Peter and Juliet got in and waved goodbye to me.

Mark backed out the car and almost scratched the Audi next to it. I was expecting to hear some yelling from the owner, but I didn't. The only think I heard was a woman's voice saying "That was close." and when I turned around I saw Natalie and the Prime Minister. The latter was making a face that showed very clearly just how afraid he was that his car would get scratched.

"Oh. Hi again." He said when he saw Nick and me. "You got through the match without biting each other's heads off!"

He gave a small smile as he said this, and Natalie squeezed his hand.

"I was just telling David about you." She said with a smile at me. "She's the one who's really easy to talk to." The last part she addressed to her boyfriend.

"Oh. Oh. Yes. Nice to meet you." He said and reached his hand out at me. "I'm David."

"Anna." I said and took his hand. I was surprised to see just how confused he was. I had never imagined the leader of our nation to seem confused and distracted like that.

"I'm Natalie, by the way." Natalie said and smiled at me. David reached out his hand to Nick as well, and the latter took it politely.

"That's quite a car you have there!" Nick said and picked _the_ topic that made David let go of Natalie's hand to go show Nick his car. Natalie and I were left to talking for a while.

"You don't mind me telling David about you?" She said and seemed slightly nervous. "I just thought you were such a sweet person, and I really liked talking with you."

"It's okay." I said and smiled at her. I think she was a few years younger than I, and she was certainly not at all as self-confident as she ought to be. She had no reason to feel insecure. None that I knew of, at least.

"How would you like it if I bought you a cup of coffee someday? That is, if you don't mind giving me your number?"

"Sure." I said and smiled happily at her. She seemed sweet and genuine, and I suddenly realized that I could use a friend, with whom I hadn't been in love for years. Yes, I know. I had Juliet. But my best friend was in love with her, and though we had become closer, I didn't trust her with my deepest secrets. I think I needed someone from outside our own little world, and there Natalie was, offering me her friendship when I had not yet known I needed it.

"Thanks so much!" She said after saving my number onto her phone. "I'll call you soon!"

"I'll be looking forward to that." I replied and meant it. Then Nick lay an arm around me and asked if I was ready to go. He and David had obviously agreed on everything concerning cars, which had now left them with nothing else to talk about (well, maybe that's not entirely true, but the fact is that they came over to us, leaving the car to itself).

We seperated with the not so anonymous couple and drove back to my place.

I couldn't help thinking all the way back how lucky I was to have met Nick. He was the most perfect guy I had ever met, and he liked me. The only thing that worried me was Mark's dislike for him. Mark and I used to share opinions on most stuff, but it seemed we were moving in different directions. I couldn't help feeling sorry about it, which Nick, attentive as he, of course, was, noticed.

"What is it?" He asked after parking the car outside my building. "You seem so sad like all of a sudden."

"It's just…" I begun and wasn't sure exactly what it was. Was it Mark? Or was it Mark not liking Nick that was the problem? "I'm sorry that Mark was so rude to you today. I don't know what got into him. He's never like that."

"It's okay." Nick replied understanding. "He probably just had a bad day because of his hangover."

"Yeah. Maybe." I said and let Nick take my hand. "But I'm afraid it's also got something to do with his grandma."

"What's with her?"

"She's very ill and might not live long. I feel so sorry for him."

"Of course you do. And that explains his bad mood."

"But it doesn't justify his behaviour towards you. He acted so spoiled. It felt like it wasn't my best friend but someone else outhere today."

"Don't worry about me. I won't hold anything against him because of today. As long as he's your friend, he's also one of mine."

"You mean that?" I asked and felt really touched.

"Yeah." He said and touched my cheek with his hand. I'm not sure he really heard my question, as he seemed lost in my eyes, moving closer to kiss me.

The kiss was deeper and more passionate than before, and it felt really nice.

"Do you want to come up?" I asked in a whisper when we stopped kissing to catch our breaths.

"If you promise you'll let me kiss you again!"

"I'll let you do anything you want!" I said suggestively and got out of the car. Nick followed my example and held all the doors for me until we got inside my apartment. The thought that this was going too quickly crossed my mind, but then Nick kissed me while closing the door behind us, and made me forget all my doubts.

* * *

A/N: Arsenal, Manchester United, and McDonald's are neither of my invention nor property. No. I'm afraid they're not. If they were, I'd be a rich girl!

cornishxxxpixie: Sorry that it took me so long to update. But hey - you took long to read, so I guess _you_ don't mind:) Thanks for liking this so much. I promise I _shall_ upload again. I haven't abondoned the story, and I won't be doing that. Ever!

Spooky Bibi: Yeah, Nick _is_ great, isn't he? I'm thinking about him and Anna ending up together instead of Anna and Mark. How'd you like that? Lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Sushimi: He he... Did Mark kiss Anna? What? When? Why didn't I notice? You think he'll do it again? Ooh...you'll have to read on to find out! Thanks for reading so far!

Avadriel: Yeah, Haldir doesn't die in the books, so why in the movie? I'm glad you agree with me that it's wrong! And I'm glad you like my charecterizations in this story. I think I just copy them as much as I can from the movie. Always seeing them before me. Except Anna, of course. Anna was made from myself, I think. I reckon. I don't know. Anyway, thanks for reading and liking this!

Dawnie-7: I wonder why I always put you last on this list. You ought to be on top. Above my author notes! Anyway, I'm glad to see that you always follow when I try to be funny. You always comment on the small things that I add to make Anna human. Stuff, like when she's not able to distinct between two soccer players. I love the fact that it doesn't go by unnoticed! About all the reviews I wrote...you're welcome! If anyone deserves to have her stories reviewed, it's you! Thanks for still being with me!


	9. Don't Let Go

A/N: Man, I'm good! It took me less than a month to update! You hear me? Less than a month!

Oookay, so here's chapter nine. Don't know when chapter ten'll be up, but I've got notes and good ideas for it, so, hopefully, it'll be within the next month. Thanks to everyone for still being with me. I really appreciate all of your reviews, 'cause they mean a lot to me and my self confidence! So thanks!

Enjoy reading!

Miss Sofie**

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**Chapter 9 – Don't Let Go**

I spent a lot of time with Nick the next weeks. I must admit that I probably neglected my friends a bit, but Juliet understood why, and Mark said it was fine with him. I'm not sure he meant it, but my conscience felt a little better after hearing him say so.

Nick was a gorgeous guy. He bought me flowers and took me to places I had never been to before. He wasn't rich, and he didn't buy me cars or decorate my apartment with ten thousand roses and all that stuff, but he _did_ spoil me. He took me to restaurants at least once a week, and then we went horse-riding, wall-climbing, ice-skating, and of course, diving, and all that kind of things. I had a lot of fun with him, but at some point I also began missing Mark. It was not the same, of course. Nick was my boyfriend, and Mark was just my friend. What we did together were totally different things, but I still missed the company of Mark, so one day I called him and asked him to go watch a movie with me. Though he was rather reluctant, he said yes, and I wouldn't have let him do otherwise. I hadn't seen him since January 1, which was around one and a half months ago (I couldn't remember a time when I hadn't seen him for more than a week!)!

Anyway, Mark and I went to the movies together, and afterwards we had coffee on a small café.

Though I had feared it would be a little awkward as we hadn't seen each other since he and Nick had had a fight, it was nothing like that at all. We talked as we used to, and I felt a twinge in my heart when thinking of the fact that I had neglected him for so long. Suddenly I didn't know why I hadn't seen him, as I enjoyed his company just as much as I enjoyed being with Nick.

"How've you been doing?" He asked as we sat down on either side of a small table. We had walked arm in arm from the cinema and talked about the old days back at school. Mark's mood was really great, and it warmed my heart, thought it was minus 9 or 10 degrees outside.

"I've been doing good. Really great, actually." I said with a smile at him. His cheeks were pink and so was his nose. He looked so cute that way!

"And…?" He asked bringing me back to the conversation again.

"Uh…sorry?" I said and didn't know what he meant. Did I miss something?

"Aren't you gonna ask how I've been doing?"

"Of course! I was just going to!" I tried and focused on the red tip of his ear. "So, how _have_ you been doing?"

"Fine, I guess. Been seeing Juliet and Peter a lot."

"Yeah. I suppose it's still hard, isn't it?" I said feeling really sorry for him. I knew exactly what it was like to be in love with a good friend. I just hoped he'd get over Juliet soon.

"It is. Very. More than you could ever imagine!" He said and looked away. I doubted he was right.

"Aw, Mark!" I exclaimed with a sad smile at him. "There's no need to be embarrassed. It could happen to anyone!"

He didn't answer to that, and I chose to let it lie.

"So, how are things between you and Nick?" He changed topics. That was one topic I could talk about forever!

"It's going alright. He's fun to be around."

"Fun? That sounds fun!" He said with a sarcastic look on his face.

"I'm just sorry that you don't get along with him."

"Yeah. I've been wanting to talk to you about that. I'm really sorry for being such a jerk at the soccer match. He really didn't do anything to piss me off like that."

"No. He didn't. What went wrong?"

"I don't know. I guess I was just afraid."

"Of what?" I asked with a frown. Why would he be afraid of Nick?

"Of losing my best friend!" Mark answered frankly. His look was serious and his eyes did not blink.

"What? You won't loose me! Ever!"

"Really? I haven't seen you for more than a month. What'd you expect me to think?"

"I don't know. But you of all people should know what it's like to be in love. You must know why I want to be with him all the time!"  
"Yes, but I still don't want to loose you."

"You're not!"

"Fine."

We were silent for a moment, then our coffees came.

"Are you sure that you're in love with him?" Mark said making me laugh with the suddenness of his question.

"Yeah. I think I am. I really like him." I said, though I wasn't sure yet, if love was what I felt for Nick. Love was a big thing and not just something you said after a few months. At least that's how I felt. Maybe I was in love, but I didn't love him. No. That couldn't be. I loved Mark, but I wasn't in love with him. Those two things didn't necessarily have to go together!

"Does he treat you well?" He asked, once again bringing me back to our conversation.

"Of course he does!" I exclaimed and put down my cup. "You really think I'd be with him, if he didn't?"  
"No, and if you would, I'd have to beat him up!" He smiled at me and made me spill my coffee as I laughed. It was so good to see Mark in good spirits again.

"Don't worry. You won't have to beat him up. He _is_ a good guy, and he'd never do anything to hurt me. I'm sure you'd like him, if only you'd give him a chance!"

"But what if he breaks up with you? Wouldn't that hurt?"

"Come on, Mark!" I said and gave a small laugh. "You're being ridiculous. We're not even a real couple yet!"

"You're not? Then why have you been together every day for the past month?"

"We haven't. I didn't see him last Thursday!"

"See! You _are_ a couple! And I'm not sure I'll like him until he lets you see your best friend some more!"

---

The Thursday that I had talked about, when I hadn't been with Nick after work, I had seen Natalie instead. (Natalie? The Prime Minister's girlfriend? You remember her, right?) She was a really sweet girl, and she talked a lot. I didn't mind, as I was not always one for keeping conversations going. Not that I didn't like talking, but sometimes (very often during the past weeks) my mind would drift off, and I would just say yes and no at the right (and a few times wrong) times. But though it may sound as if I only liked Natalie because she talked a lot, that's not the case. I really liked her company. She _did_ listen whenever I would say something, and she was good at it. Maybe it came with having such and important – and sometimes frustrated – boyfriend. She probably had to listen to him every night, too, so she was used to it (and maybe that's why she needed to talk so much when she was not with him!).

Anyway, I told her about Mark, Juliet, and Nick, and after our first coffee together, she knew more about me than Nick did, and also a bit more than Mark had ever done. It was quite a relief to tell it all to somebody, and in return she told me of her secrets too. How living with David wasn't always easy. Not because of his personality, but because of the journalists and people from the opposite parties. The worst thing about it, she said after three coffees and two pieces of pie, was her family and old friends. Her family absolutely loved David, but only because of the fact that he was famous, which wasn't exactly flattering. Her old friends, who had turned their backs on her once they had been married or had children, had suddenly wanted to see her again and stay in touch. It had been easy to feel that they only wanted to know her now that she was in the papers frequently.

I could see why it must be hard, and I was grateful that Nick wasn't anyone famous. I don't think I would've been even half as strong as Natalie was, and I wouldn't be able to handle it, so I guess it was good that it was Natalie and not I, who was dating the Prime Minister (besides, I had never found him that gorgeous, though I knew that a lot of women adored him)!

Anyway, Natalie and I went to a small restaurant together in my lunch break a few days after I had seen Mark.

Her mood was great as she arrived, and she looked so pretty when she smiled. I have to admit that I envied her a bit. Though she was a bit chubby, one didn't notice, as she was always bubbling with life and spirits, which made her look really pretty. Therefore it surprised me a lot, when she told me how lucky I was to be so beautiful.

"What?" I exclaimed and almost choked on my pasta salad. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No, of course I'm not." She replied with a questioning look on her face. "Why would I?"

"Because…you're the one here who's pretty, not me."

"That's nonsense, Anna, and you know it!" She said and took another spoonful of her baked potato. Talking with food in her mouth, she continued. "You're tall and can wear all those small skirts that I've always wanted to wear, and anything that you put on looks amazing on you. I wonder why the boys aren't fighting over you!"

"Natalie!" I said opening my eyes in disbelief. "You're exaggerating. I'm just an average girl. My eyes don't shine with life as yours do, and my cheek don't turn pink when I'm cold. Only pale. And I haven't been to the hair dresser's for more than six months!"

"Six months? Are you trying to kill your hair? "

"No, to save money!" I joked, but she didn't hear me.

"Six months? You're lucky to have such fine hair, then. My hair would never survive that."

"Stop it, Natalie!" I said as I put down my glass, which made me sound and look angry. That had not been my intention. "Stop thinking that you're not as good and good-looking as everyone else. You are, and you're a great friend. I'm glad I've met you!"

"Really? That's so sweet of you to say. David says it all the time too, but it's hard to believe when it's coming from someone who's blind with love!"

"But why do you think he is? Because you _are_ gorgeous and you _are_ a good person and you _do_ look really good. You'd better start believing it or I'll kick the out of you!"

"Anna! I didn't know you could swear!"

"Because I'm too polite to do so around new people. Especially our Prime Minister's girlfriend!"

"Oh stop it! I swear all the time, too!" She stated in a small laugh.

---

A few days later Nick and I were to have dinner with Natalie and David (Natalie had invited us when we had finished discussing who was the prettiest of us!). Nick was wearing his beige suit which he knew I liked, and I was wearing a dark green dress. Nothing really fancy, though fancier than it would've been to a dinner with our other friends. In some way I knew this wasn't different, but dinner at Downing Street number 10 sort of makes you dress differently without thinking about it. At least it made me do so. And Nick, I believe.

We arrived a little late, and I was so embarrassed that we did. It was my fault, as I had forgotten my purse so we had to turn around and get it.

I had had no reason to feel embarrassed, though, as Natalie and David were far from ready for us to show up yet, when we arrived.

For some reason the housekeeper, the chef and probably more of the household staff had been sent home, and the two of them had tried to cook dinner themselves.

Natalie opened for us, as David was in the kitchen trying to save a smoking roast. It was impossible to tell which kind of roast it had been, and putting it under the cold water sure didn't save it. In the end David called for some Chinese food, to which we drank two bottles of his expensive red wine!

It tasted wonderful, and the accident in the kitchen sort of made us connect from the very beginning. Nick and David talked a lot, and as a few times before Natalie and I did too.

Some time not long before midnight, the conversation turned to houses and interiors. Natalie wanted to show us the house, and though one would think that the Prime Minister would be tired of showing people around the house, he jumped up from his seat with a "Good idea, sweetheart!" and lay an arm around his girlfriend. They were really sweet together, and though David was much older than the rest of us, they looked like a sweet, young couple.

"So this is the stairs!" David said gesturing with his arm as we walked up the stairs to the first floor. I couldn't help giggling a bit, and neither could Natalie. I think that she and I may have had most of the red wine. Nick would be driving home later, so he had only had one glass.

"And this is the corridor!" David said, still making Natalie and me giggle. I sort of felt like a school girl again. Natalie made me feel young, in some way, and I suddenly thought that Nick and David were really, really old. I imagined them with gray hair and sticks in their hands. The thought made me stop giggling to begin laughing instead, and when Natalie demanded to hear what was so funny, I had to stop to catch my breath before telling her. She too couldn't help laughing, and neither of us could walk on.

When I was having my next fit of laughter after something Natalie said, my cell phone rang, and without thinking about the impoliteness of answering it at this time and place, I pushed the green phone on the left and said "Hello?"

"It's me." I heard Mark's voice in my ear. He sounded sad. Almost as if he had been crying.

"Mark? What's wrong?" I asked suddenly able to control my laughter.

"Can you come over?"  
"Now? What's happened?" I felt nauseous by hearing the fear in Mark's voice. He sounded terrified.

"It's Grandma. She's…"

"I she…dead?" I asked trying to swallow, but I couldn't.

"No, not yet. But she's very, very ill. She's asking for us."

"I'll be there in a minute, Mark. I'm so sorry. Are you still at home?"

"Yes, I'll be waiting for you. She wants to see both of us."

"Tell your parents we'll be there as soon as possible. I'm coming over now. Can you drive?"

"Eh, yes. Why?"

"Because I can't. Too much red wine!"

"Oh. Are you out with Nick?"

"Sort of. But it's nothing that can't be changed. I'll be right there."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

"Anna?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks!"

---

"I just can't see why it can't wait till the morning!" Nick said for the third time on our way to Mark's place. "It's a long way to go at night, and it's dark and cold outside."

"Because!" I said and left it at that. I was beginning to feel a little annoyed with Nick. Mark needed me, and it couldn't wait till tomorrow. Why couldn't he see that?

"That's not a real reason!"

"Because Mark's grandma is dying! Try to tell _her_ to wait till the morning!"

"But what's that got to do with you? Let Mark go. It's _his_ grandma, not yours!"

"She's _my_ grandma as well as Mark's. Maybe not biologically, but I've known her as long as I've known Mark. And when my best friend needs me, I'll be there for him! No matter what!"

"I thought _I_ was your best friend!" Nick said sounding rather disappointed. It made me feel sorry for him, though he was being annoying.

"Oh, Nick!" I sighed. "It's not the same. You're my boyfriend, and I love you, but Mark's been my best friend for years. Nothing'll ever change that!"

"You love me?" Nick asked. He had obviously forgotten the other topic like all of a sudden.

"Eh, well…" I said wanting to kick myself. I hadn't meant to say that. It had just slipped my lips like the most natural thing to say. I wasn't sure yet, if I loved him, but I guess I did. Otherwise it wouldn't have felt natural to say, would it?

"What?" Nick said slowing down. I still hadn't answered his question.

"Yeah. Yes. I do love you." I said surprised at how easy those little words were to say. I had always imagined it would feel different. Like the first kiss or something. I mean, those words meant so much that they would have to make you feel much, right? But they didn't. They just felt like every day words. I supposed it was because it was a natural thing for me to say to Nick. If I hadn't felt it, then it would've been hard to say, I'm sure!

"I've so longed to hear you say that!" Nick whispered and lay his hand on mine. "I love you too, Anna!" His voice was hoarse and I could've sworn he was close to crying. I didn't know why. He should be happy, not sad, right?

Anyway, we reached Mark's place and Nick parked his Mercedes next to Mark's old Volkswagen. I opened the door to run up to check on Mark, but Nick reached out for me and pulled me near.

"I love you!" He whispered in my ear and kissed me softly. "I've loved you since the moment I let my eyes on you in the airport. You were the most beautiful and sexy…"

"Nick!" I interrupted impatiently. "Mark's waiting for me!"

I got out of his embrace and of the car. He didn't try to pull me back, and I was glad he didn't. All I could concentrate on right now was Mark and his grandma.

---

"The darn car won't start!" Mark yelled and got out. He had tried to start his car for fifteen minutes, but it refused. He slammed the door and kicked the tire – a thing that I'm sure Nick would never have done. He was far too rational for emotional outbursts like that. Though there was not much fun about the situation, I couldn't help feeling a bit amused. Mark frowned his forehead and looked really, really helpless.

"We'll find out of something." I said and squeezed his arm. Nick had gotten back into his car, but he hadn't left yet.

"But what if we'll be too late?"

"We won't. She wants to see you, and I know her well enough to know that she won't let go until she's had her way!"

"She wants to see both of us. Mum said that she asked for both me and you."

"And she _will_ see us. I'll ask Nick if we can borrow his car."

"He won't let us." Mark said quietly and leaned against the old car. He looked up, and so did I. The sky was practically covered in stars tonight.

"Nick!" I shouted well-knowing that he couldn't hear me in the car.

I opened the door in his side of the car and said his name again. He smiled and took my hand, kissing it softly.

"Nick, can we drive your car to Milton Keynes?"

"No." He said still caressing my hand. I withdrew it annoyedly.

"But Mark's car won't start!"

"I noticed. I'll drive you." He said and reached out for my hand again. I threw my arms around him giving him a big kiss.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I said relieved and felt something else as well. Was it love?

"Mark! Nick's going to drive us!" I said happily and opened the door to the back seat. "Come on. Let's go!"

---

The trip to Milton Keynes wasn't exactly funny. Mark and Nick hardly spoke to each other, though Nick had claimed he liked Mark, and Mark had promised to behave. Well, one can only say that they didn't behave bad towards each other. How could they, when they only talked to me?

"I'm looking so much forward to meeting Mark's parents." Nick said and took my hand. I was sitting in the other front seat, though I had wanted to sit with Mark in the back.

"Why?" I asked questioningly. I let his fingers play with mine while he drove.

"Because you've told me so much about them. They obviously mean a lot to you."

"Yeah. They do." I said and turned around to look at Mark. "Have you seen your parents since Christmas?"

"I was there in January." He replied and looked at Nick's fingers playing with mine. Then he looked out of the window.

"How were they doing then?" I asked removing my hand from Nick's. I knew what it was like to be the only single, when couples would keep touching and flirting. I hated it.

"They were doing fine. Grandma was better than around New Year, so I soon went back to London again."

"I'm sorry she's worse." I said and reached back to squeeze his hand. I kept holding it for a while.

"Yeah. Me too." He said looking out of the window again, though it was dark outside. He withdrew his hand after a few more moments.

---

"Anna!" Clara (Mark's mum) exclaimed and threw her arms around me in the doorway. "It's so good to see you again. And you've brought a friend!"

"Nick is my boyfriend." I said and introduced them to each other.

"Oh." Clara said with an expression on her face that I couldn't read. She shook Nick's hand. "Come on in, then."

The house was warm and comfortable as I remembered it. Though Mark's grandma was dying, the house was its usual self, and one couldn't help but feeling sort of happy when entering. I still enjoyed coming there very much.

"I'll go check on Grandma." Mark said and hung his coat on the bannister. Then he rushed up the stairs, not caring about introducing my boyfriend to his parents. One couldn't blame him, really. He was anxious to see the old lady, and so was I. A moment later he came out from her room again and said that she was asking for me. Nick and I went upstairs hand-in-hand, which felt really strange. It was the first time I had been in this house with others than Mark and his family.

"Anna?" Clarisse (Mark's grandma) asked in a whisper when we entered her room. She was very pale, and she had lost weight. She looked in my direction, but I'm not sure if she saw me. "Anna, my child, is that you?"

"Yes, Clarisse, it's me." I said and took her hand. Mark was standing by the window letting me have a moment with her.

"Who's that next to you?" She asked closing her eyes. It was easy to tell that talking exhausted her.

"It's Nick. My boyfriend. He wanted to see you."

"I didn't ask for him." She said opening her eyes again. "Mark! Mark, where are you?"

I looked at Nick, mouthing "sorry" to him, but he shook his head lightly and let go of my hand. "I'll wait outside." He whispered and kissed my cheek.

Mark came over to us as Nick closed the door behind him. Clarisse smiled and took his hand. Then she placed it upon mine and drew our hands to her heart.

"You've got it all right here." She said and took a deep breath. She coughed a little and continued. "Don't…don't you ever let go!"

She took another deep breath and closed her eyes. Tears filled Mark's eyes while we waited for her next breath. It never came.

---

A couple of minutes passed. Tears were streaming down our cheeks, but we kept holding each others hands close to her heart. Letting go would sort of be like ending it all over again. Once was more than enough for both of us.

"I'm sorry." I whispered and squeezed Mark's hand. The small movement made Clarisse's hand fall off ours, and, finally, we withdrew our hands from her. It was tough. Really tough, and I started crying loudly.

Mark pulled me near and lay his arms around me in a big hug. I hugged him back and felt like never letting go. I felt how his tears fell down and mingled with mine, and suddenly all I wanted to do was hold him and comfort him and protect him from all evil.

"Thank you." He whispered, his breath tickling my neck. He was wearing the aftershave that I loved so much, and, instantly, my hands moved from a normal hug to carressing his neck. I couldn't resist it. He was so sad and had no one else to hold him, and I felt the same way.

I felt his lips upon mine, and much to my surprise I responded. He tasted a bit of salt, probably because of the tears, and his lips were so soft. I closed my eyes and let go, but only for a split second or so. Then I heard the door being opened. Pulling away from Mark, I turned my head only to see Nick staring at us from the doorway, his eyes widening, then expressing a deep sorrow!

I wanted to move, to say something, but I couldn't.

I was paralyzed!

* * *

A/N: Aww...! I want Mark! I'm thinking about having him for myself instead of letting Anna have him. That's not so very egoistic, is it! Ahem...

Please review and let me know what _you_ think. Should I keep him to myself?

Anyway, indivual replies, here they come:

**Dawn**: Thanks again! I'll never ever stop writing this if it's not yet finished. Don't you worry about that, I'm just a very busy person, and I'm afraid I'll be busy until sometime next year when I finish my education. Hopefully, I'll have finished this story before that, though! Thanks for reviewing!

**Sushimi**: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'm glad you're still here. Oh, and by the way…wish granted! J

**Spooky** **Bibi**: It only took me about three weeks this time, didn't it? Thanks for the review. I sure know who I like the best, though the other one is a great guy as well. And yeah, watching the movie again always does the trick. It does for me, that's for sure! Thanks again!

**Cornishxxxpixie**: Thanks for reviewing again and thanks for liking the story. I shall keep updating. Don't worry. I'm just a bit slow! And ehm…if I was thinking about not updating, you sure changed my mind by threatening me like that! J Keep reading and reviewing, thanks!


	10. Someone to Come Home to

A/N: Hello and thanks for the reviews. I can't believe that you really liked this story so much. I haven't had a single bad review yet, and I'm very, very grateful for that. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! I'll add individual replies at the bottom.

I'm glad to know I've made a few of you cry (that sounds rather sadistic, doesn't it!), as it means that you feel the same way when reading as I do when writing. Please let me know if it happens again! J

Well, here's chapter ten for you. Wouldn't have come this far without you!

Miss Sofie

* * *

**Chapter Ten – Someone to Come Home to**

Nick didn't get furious such as you could've expected him to be. It would've been okay, because I was doing something that I was definitely not supposed to be doing. At least that's what he must have felt. But no. He just asked me to go for a walk with him. To let Mark's parents believe that everything was okay between us, we brought Molly, their dog, with us. I told them they should have a moment alone with Clarisse, and Clara said it was really nice of us. I think she would've asked me to have that moment with them, if it wasn't for Nick. He wasn't part of the family as I was, and so he wasn't welcome at that very moment.

Anyway, Nick and I were walking down the silent streets of Milton Keynes. The snow had made people stay inside at night, and the only sound was the one of Molly sniffing to the yellow snow, and the one that our feet made wherever we would step. I loved the sound of footsteps in soft snow, but that wasn't what I was thinking about. I was thinking about how cold my fingers were, as I hadn't had time taking gloves with me when leaving London.

Neither of us had said anything since we left the house, until Nick took my hand.

"But you're freezing, darling!" He said as if nothing was wrong between us.

"Nick…" I began and stopped. He stopped too, and turned to face me. I sighed. I wasn't sure how to continue.

"Just tell me one thing…" He said and took both of my hands in his. We didn't have Molly in a leash, as she always behaved well, and we were the only ones out at this time of the night. "…Are you in love with him?"

I looked Nick in the eyes and saw stars reflected in them. A feeling overwhelmed me, and I had no doubts it was love. But love could be many things. What I felt for Mark, for instance, was love, too.

"I'm in love with you!" I said and held my breath. Tears rose to my eyes, and for a moment I forgot where I was.

"Thank God!" Nick said and began breathing again. He pulled me near and kissed my tears away.

"I'm so sorry!" I whispered and felt it. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I know." He said and caressed my hair. "I know."

"I just…" I said feeling a pain in my throat that wouldn't go away. "I was so sad! She's gone. And she died in front of my eyes! I couldn't help it. I couldn't help crying. And Mark…"

"I know, Anna." Nick said and gave my lips a soft kiss. "Don't worry about it."

"Thank you." I whispered and held him close to me. "Thank you for forgiving me."

"Anna, I love you! I'd be a fool not to forgive you! Besides, I don't think there's anything to forgive. That kiss was only a result of the two of you being very, very sad. And I understand that. You've lost someone you both loved. What's more natural than seeking comfort in each other?"

"You're the best man I've ever met!" I cried onto his shoulder.

"I don't want to be the best man." He mumbled, barely audible.

"Huh?" I said raising my head a bit.

"Anna, I need to ask you something."

Nick took a little step away from me, and looked at me with a serious expression on his face.

Molly was running around somewhere ahead of us, and she obvously wasn't aware of the fact that we had stopped.

The snow had begun to fall again, and it would've been a very romantic moment, if it wasn't for the fact that I was thinking about Clarisse's last words.

"Anna, will you move in with me?" Nick interrupted my thoughts.

The question was very unexpected, though it wasn't what I had feared it to be.

"Huh?"

"I know you're surprised and I know it's soon, but I'd love for you to move in with me."

"Yeah, I'm surprised." I said and looked for Molly. "Molly, come back here!"

"You don't have to give me an answer now. I mean, with everything that's happened tonight I know you're probably too tired and sad to think about moving, but I had to ask you. I'm sorry for the bad timing. I just…I need you…day and night…!"

He breathed in deeply, and I'm quite sure he was trying to restrain himself. He pulled me near again and kissed my neck.

"God, I love you so much!" He whispered, his breath tickling me and making me want him. I could smell his aftershave, and I'm quite sure he had borrowed Mark's. He smelt so nice!

"I love you too." I replied and couldn't help myself when tasting the tip of his ear.

"No, Anna, don't." He said huskily and withdrew a little. "I can't control myself when you do that."

"Sorry." I said and took his hand instead. "We ought to bring Molly back. She must be cold and tired of waiting for us!"

"Yeah. We ought to."

---

Nick left after breakfast the next morning. Clara asked him to stay with me for the funeral, but he said that Clarisse wouldn't have wanted him there, and so he didn't want to come. Besides, he had to go back to London to do some work.

I said goodbye to him outside with no one but Molly to see and hear us.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay? Just for a couple of days?" I asked holding his hands.

"Yes, I'm sure. I didn't know her, and she didn't like me. It'd be disrespectful of me to show up at her funeral."

"You're probably right." I said and squeezed his hands. "But I'm going to miss you."

"Me too." He said and kissed me. "Will you think about what I said last night?"

"About moving in with you?"

He looked me in the eyes and nodded in reply.

"I'll think about it." I said and smiled at him. "And I'll give you an answer when I get back."

"That'd be great." He said and smiled back at me. "You're so adorable when you smile, you know that?"

"And when I'm not smiling!" I asked trying not to smile, which I failed.

"Still adorable!" He replied and kissed me again. "I have to go, but take care, okay! And tell Mark that I have no hard feelings towards him. I'm not sure he believed me when I said so."

"I will." I replied and let go of him. "Drive safely!"

He nodded again and walked backwards slowly. He didn't want to get in the car, but he had to.

"I love you." He said quietly before opening the door and getting in. I didn't reply. He couldn't hear me anyway, as he closed the door quickly behind him.

---

That day everybody cried a lot. Mark's aunts and uncles and their children came to see Clarisse and say goodbye to her, the doctor was there, of course, and so was the funeral director. There was a lot of things to be discussed, both concerning Clarisse's life and the funeral. I was glad they were the kind of family who wouldn't begin shouting at each other because they couldn't agree. I would've hated that.

I didn't say much, as I felt unwelcome among some of Mark's relatives. I had met some of them before, but others didn't understand what I was doing there. I think I understood. I wasn't family. Well, yes, I was like family to Mark and his parents, but not to the rest of the family.

Some time in the afternoon, when it was beginning to darken outside, Mark got up from his chair and motioned me to do the same. He left the living room and I did the same.

"I need to get some air." He said when I met him in the corridor. "Wanna come?"

"Sure." I said and took my coat from the hook. Mark took down Molly's leash, which she heard from the living room and came running. Mark obviously took too long in putting the on leash, because the dog began barking and jumping around with joy. She kind of lifted my spirits, and Mark's too, I think.

"Yes, that's right, Molly." He said and put on the leash. "We're going for a walk. And afterwards I'll feed you your dinner!"

Molly must've been a very clever dog, or she had heard the word 'dinner' once too many, because she barked even louder as Mark mentioned it. He laughed and took her outside while patting her side. I followed with a somewhat melancholy feeling inside.

Perhaps a dog was what I needed!

"Anna, about last night…I mean, when Grandma…" Mark began, tears appearing in the corner of his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I said and put my hand in his pocket. He wasn't using it himself, as he was holding on to the leash.

"You mean that!" He said in surprise. He looked at me and it was like he stopped walking for a split second.

"Of course. You were hurt, and so was I. Nick said it's only natural."

"Nick…" Mark mumbled and walked a little faster. "So he's okay with it?"

"Yeah. He's not even jealous."

"He's not? I would be, if you were…if my girlfriend kissed another guy."

"I thought he would be too, but I told him we were just friends. So he understood."

"That's…good, I guess."

"You still don't like him much, do you?" I changed topics.

"I'm sorry, Anna, but…I don't think he's your type. And I don't want you to be with the wrong guy!"

"I'm not. Mark, I'm with the most perfect guy you could ever imagine. How can that be wrong?"

"I don't know." Mark mumbled. "I just know that he either cares a lot about you or the opposite, if he's not the slightest bit mad at you."

"He cares a lot." I stated and said no further, though Mark's last sentence had made me feel a little insecure.

We kept silent for the rest of the walk.

---

The funeral went as funerals do. Mark held a speech, which made tears stream down people's faces, especially mine. All the while he talked, he had a deep frown on his face. Seeing him fighting the tears when he was so sad, made my heart ache even more. In the end he wasn't able to hold them back, and that was when his mother began crying loudly. I squeezed her hand, as I was sitting next to her on the bench. Both Mark and his parents had wanted it so. The squeezing only made her cry louder, and my sopping grew worse as well.

Somewhere in the middle of the church I knew Juliet and Peter were sitting. They had driven up here to support Mark at the funeral, though they had never known his grandma. I knew Juliet would be crying too, and for some reason I couldn't help thinking that Mark would want to comfort her now and not be able to do so. My heart bled for him. That had to be so tough!

As he came down to sit with us again, his face was strained with tears, and new ones kept falling. I felt one falling on my hand as he took it in his. He didn't say anything, but he held my hand so tightly that I had no chance of letting go. I'm not sure he was aware of what he was doing. If he had been, he probably wouldn't have held my hand so tight. He would never do anything to hurt me on purpose, I know that.

Outside the church everyone came to pay the family their respects. I stayed with Juliet and Peter, and as we reached Mark, Juliet gave him a big hug. Peter did too, though the two of them never hugged. I felt Mark moving a bit back as I wanted to give him a hug, and he only let me give him a small and awkward one. I sort of understood. The last time we had hugged I had put my arms around him and kissed him. He didn't want that to happen again, and that was fine with me. But somewhere inside of me I think I was a little hurt. I wanted our friendship to stay the same, though we had kissed. We had agreed that we had just been sad and needed comfort, so why was he afraid I'd do it again?

Well, there was no chance I'd get an answer at the funeral, and so I went with Juliet and Peter. Afterall, my friendship with Mark wasn't what the funeral was about. I could put it aside for at least one day, couldn't I!

---

Mark and I drove home on the following day. We borrowed Clara's car. She rarely drove it anyway. Peter and Juliet had left right after the funeral.

Mark was very quiet all the way back, and I tried to cheer him up by singing all his favourite tunes very much off key. It's amazing that it made him smile instead of telling me to shut up, but in the end he couldn't help laughing. I think it was my parody of Blue's _Guilty_ that did the trick. I do _not_ have a great singing voice, so can you imagine me hitting the high notes of that song? No? Me neither!

"You should be on "_Idols_"!" Mark said and switched on the radio. "Then the whole country could hear you!"

"Hey! Why are you switching on the radio? That's very impolite when I'm trying to sing, You!" I scolded and turned up the volume. My mood was so much better than it had been the past few days, and I think Mark's was too.

"You know, Anna, there's something I've been wanting to ask you…" He said and turned down the music.

"There is? What is it?" I asked curious like a child.

"Mr. Reynolds…"

"Who?" I interrupted impatiently.

"Mr. Reynolds who hires out the apartment I live in…"

"Ah…_that_ Mr. Reynolds!" I interrupted again.

"Do we know other Mr. Reynolds's!" Mark asked sarcastically.

"I don't. Do you?" I asked as innocent as possible, trying not to let a smile escape my mouth.

"Anna, cut it out!" Mark sounded annoyed, but it was easy to tell from the smile on his face that he was not.

"Okay." I said and waited for him to go on, looking at him till he looked back at me.

"Stop staring at me like that! I can't drive when you do so!"

"Sorry." I said and turned serious. "So what is it about Mr. Reynolds?"

"He wants to use the apartment for his daughter and her girlfriend…"

"_Girl_friend?"

"Yes. Girlfriend. Can I continue now?"

"Sorry."

"I'll have to be out in less than a month."

"What? Can he do that?"

"Yes, I'm afraid he can. He told me last Tuesday, and I had a month from then."

"What are you going to do?"

"I've found this really great penthouse apartment. It's big and light and you can see most of London from it's windows. It's got windows in three directions."

"That sounds really great! Can you afford it?"

"Well, that's where you come in handy…How would you like it if we shared?" His face had lightened up a lot, and I hadn't seem him so energized for a long time. "It's big enough for a family, and since we're not, it's more than enough for the two of us. There's only one bathroom and one kitchen, but we know each other well enough to…"

"Mark!" I interrupted. "I can't."

The light died in his face as quickly as it had come. I hated to disappoint him, but how could I share an apartment with him now?

"But Anna, it'll be perfect. The view is really great, and…" He stopped midsentence, as he looked at me.

"I'm sorry, Mark, but Nick's already asked me the same question. It'd look wrong. If you had only asked six months ago…but now…I can't. I'm sorry."

I felt a lump in my throat as I looked at Mark. No doubt he was disappointed. If he didn't find someone else, he would have to let the apartment go. I felt so bad, but I couldn't do it to Nick. I just couldn't."

"Don't be sorry." He muttered and concentrated on driving. I could've sworn that his eyes looked wet. "I was just so hooked on the idea, but I understand. If your boyfriend asked you first…"

"I'm sorry." I said quietly and meant it.

"Yeah." He said and turned up the radio again. I think it was supposed to hide his snuffle, but it didn't.

---

When I got home the smell of chocolate met me in the entrance. I called for Nick, but no one answered. I kept on my coat and shoes and went to the kitchen. Nick was standing by the table with his back towards me, and he hadn't heard me coming.

"This smells nice!" I said and put down my purse. Nick turned around immediately and smiled widely at me.

"Not as nice as you do." He said and put his arms around me. "Want some hot chocolate with cream?"

"That'd be nice." I said and felt happy to have someone to come home to.

"I've got something for you." He said and let go of me to go get something from the living room. He came back with a big bouquet of red roses and white lilies, and it made me stand in silence, not knowing what to say.

"I know it's just flowers, but I didn't know what to do to cheer you up. I'm sorry about Clarisse, and I want you to know that I'm here for you."

I still couldn't say anything. He had made me hot chocolate. And what I needed right now was hot chocolate. And someone to comfort me. How could he know?

"Nick." I finally said with a serious expression on my face.

"Is anything wrong?" He asked laying aside the flowers. "Should I have stayed out of your apartment? I'm sorry if…"

"No, it's not that…Nick…I want to move in with you!"

"If I shouldn't…What?" He interrupted himself. "You do? Really? That's great! That's really great!" He said and put his arms around me. "I'll buy you flowers every day if that's what it takes!"

"It's not." I smiled and kissed him. "It was the hot chocolate that convinced me."

Nick smiled and kissed me back.

* * *

A/N: The song _Guilty_ is by Blue and is not of my proporty. _Idols_ is not of my invention either. I don't even know who started it, but probably an American TV-station. All credits go to the people behind the show, not me. Oh, and if it's called something else in England, then I'm sorry. I don't live there. Have never been there either!

So, what'd you say? Should Anna move in with Nick or Mark? Or none at all? I can still change her decision, as I haven't written the next chapter yet. I've only got notes for it. Well, for some of it, anyway. As I said, things can still be rearranged!

Anyway, please let me know your opinion. I'm sorry for this being such a short chapter, but it seemed the right place to end it. AND it means that I'm updating a bit sooner this time!

Okay, so to the individual replies:

**Dawnie-7**: Yeah, I know. I like sad. Sad is good! No, I'm not serious. But a story without sadness is not a real story to me. AND…it's getting worse, so prepare yourself for some serious sadness! Especially at the end of the story. But that's all I'm gonna reveal to you right now. Thanks a trillion times as always. You rock!

**Spooky Bibi**: No offence taken! I know you didn't mean to sound harsh, and you didn't, so don't worry about it! I'm glad you liked the chapter. I hope I'll surprise you. We're closer to the end than we were at the beginning (well, duh!), but I don't think we're too close to the end yet, so a lot can happen. I've planned quite a few other things out for the people in this story to go through, so I hope you haven't guessed all that happens yet! Thanks for the great review!

**Cornishxxxpixie**: I love cliff hangers, don't you! They make people want more! I'll try to update more frequent, but I can't promise anything. I've been at home for almost two weeks now, and when do I write a new chapter? On Sunday night, of course! That's so me. Hope you'll stick with me in spite of the long time I take to update! Thanks a hundred times for the reviews!


	11. The Saddest Goodbye

A/N: Please, tell me you're still reading this! It's been ages, I know, and the worst thing is that this chapter's been written for ages as well. Don't know why I haven't posted it, then. Probably because I'm not exactly satisfied with it. When reading it after a couple of months, I think it's okay, though, and so I'm posting it.

Thanks to all the reviewers (individual replies at the bottom) and thanks to anyone else who's reading.

As I've said before… I shall finish this story, though I'm taking long to do so. I have not abandoned it - I just have sooo little time for writing this year. Have had since I began my education. I hope, though, that I'll be able to update (and maybe even finish) this story before the end of my education.

Anyway, thanks for reading so far!

Miss Sofie

Oh, and if the document looks weird, it's becausethis web siteisgiving me quitea hard time.

* * *

**Chapter 11 – The Saddest Goodbye**

"Juliet, guess what!" I said enthusiastically when she answered the phone. I didn't even bother to say my name. I was too excited.

"Oh, hi Anna. Has Mark asked you to marry him?"

"No, of course he hasn't!" I replied rolling my eyes though no one could see it. "Nick asked me to move in with him!"

"And you said yes?"

"Do I sound like I said no?"

"No, you don't." She hesitated for a while, but I was too happy to notice. "That's really great. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"His apartment?"

"Yes. I'll be moving in around April 1."

"Anna, it's not that I don't like Nick, but are you sure it's what you want?"

"Yeah." I said with a small laugh. "It's not like he's asked me to marry him or anything."

"But do you know him well enough to move in with him? How long have you been dating?"

"Since New Year. It may be a bit fast, but I love him, and he loves me."  
"Well, if you're happy, I'm happy. Congrats again. Do you need a hand with the packing?"

"That'd be nice, thank you."

"Peter and I will be there. Have you told Mark yet?"

"No."

I hadn't. For some reason I hadn't wanted to tell him yet. He probably needed some time alone to get over the loss of his grandma. There was no need to let him know how happy I was.

"Why not? It'll disappoint him to hear it from someone else."

"Yeah. I know." I said quietly. "It's just…"

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll call him now."

"Hi Anna." Mark answered his phone.

"Hi. How're you doing?"

"A lot like yesterday. Sad – but holding on."

"Yeah. I know what you mean. I miss her too."

"So, how may I help you? Usually you wouldn't call me the day after we'd been together." He sounded a little annoyed, but I chose to believe it was just me.

"Sorry. I know I ought to call you more often." I replied. "But, you know, you _could_ call me too!"

"Okay. I get it."

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I'll be moving in with Nick."

"You told me yesterday."

"No, I said that he had asked me to."

"Yeah, but I figured you'd chose him over you best friend since kindergarten."

"Come on, Mark! You're not being fair! How could I possibly move in with you, when Nick had asked me first?"

"No. You're right. How could you?"

"Mark…!" I complained, but I didn't know what else to say.

"Look, Anna, I gotta go. I'll call you some other time…"

"Mark, wait a minute…"

But the click of the receiver being put down was the only reply I got.

---

The next month I spent packing and throwing out. I could probably have done it all in one day, but I kept making excuses for taking breaks. Natalie came over a lot, and so did Juliet. The two of them were getting to know each other quite well, and I was getting to know Aurelia, who often came along with Juliet. They helped me pack, and they helped making excuses for not packing. Sometimes their respective husbands and boyfriends would come along and laugh at us because we hadn't come any further than the last time they were there. Nick didn't come quite as much as the girls did, because he was busy throwing away and rearranging his apartment, so there would be room anough for me and my stuff.

---

Mark didn't call me though he had promised he would. And I didn't call him. Call me obstinate, if you like, but I didn't want to call him as long as he refused to call me. I met him at the local supermarket once, and he nearly passed me by without even saying hello.

"Mark?" I asked following him to the milk fridge. I grapped his sleeve and made him stop. "Mark! Hi!"

He turned around with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Oh. Hi Anna. Didn't see you there." He said and looked at the milk in his hand.

"I noticed." I said and smiled at him. "So, how have you been? You never called me."

"I've been busy." He said without smiling back at me.

"With what?" I asked with interest. It was nice if he had found something to take his thoughts off his grandma.

"With…stuff." He said and stared at something in the distance.

"Are you waiting for something?" I asked looking in the same direction. I couldn't see anything but groceries.

"No, but…I'm sort of in a hurry."

"Oh. Okay." I said disappointedly. I had hoped to get a long talk with him. I missed him.

"Well, See you some other time." He said and began walking.

"Mark, wait!" I said and followed him. "What're you doing on Saturday?"

"Eh…I have to…eh…"

"I'll be moving out this weekend, and it'd be nice if you'd like to help."

"I can't."

"You can't? Why not?"

"Because I…" He frowned and looked away again. "Alright, I'll be there. It wasn't important anyway."

"Great!" I said and gave him a happy peck on the cheek. He backed away from me and hurried out of the store.

---

When Saturday finally came my mood was better than it had been for a long time. Nick noticed this when he woke me up at six and I didn't object. I jumped out of bed and went to the kitchen to make some coffee, and a minute later I was standing in the shower.

"Leave some hot water for me, will you!" Nick said opening the door slightly.

"Why don't you come in?" I asked and drew the curtain aside. "There's room enough for two."

"Eh…no. Thank you." Nick said with a disgusted look on his face. I wondered what had made him feel like that, but then I forgot about it. There were lots of other things to think about today.

---

Juliet and Peter came over around eight o' clock. Jamie and Aurelia couldn't be there until noon, because they were taking care of Jamie's two-year-old niece. Nick's sister, Tanya, came around eight as well, and so did Nick's two best friends, Raymond and Christopher. I had met them both before, and they were really nice. Nick had known Raymond since school, and Christopher was a friend from the diving club. Neither of them had girlfriends, which was a real mystery to me, as they were both rather good-looking and charming. Quite soon, though, it became quite obvious that Christopher and Tanya were head over heels for each other. They kept flirting and touching "accidentally" all morning, and when Jamie and Aurelia arrived at noon, no one had any doubts that they were in love. Well, except for Tanya and Christopher themselves.

"I thought you said that Mark had promised to help." Nick said when we had almost finished stuffing furniture into the van we had rented.

"He did. Don't know why he hasn't shown up yet." I said and felt a little worried. What if anything had happened to him?

"Why don't you call him?" Nick asked and handed me his phone. "With all the stuff you've gathered through the years, we could need some extra help!"

Right when I had dialled Mark's number, I heard a cell phone ringing from the stairs. I hung up as Mark entered my apartment.

My stomach did a little somersault, when I realised he was alright.

"There you are." Juliet said with a reprimanding look on her face. "What took you so long?"

"Just needed to get rid of someone." He said looking through the room. His eyes were sort of red and he looked terrible. "Peter and Jamie! Nice to see you!"

"Get rid of who?" I asked with a frown. Was he in trouble?

"Just eh…some girl." He said avoiding my eyes. Then he left to go help Peter and Jamie.

I couldn't help feeling angry. Angry and disappointed. He had come late because of a girl he probably didn't even know, and I had worried for no reason. Who did he think he were? He could at least have called. No, he could at least have stayed home the night before his best friend needed his help! Well, if I was still his best friend. I hoped so, but I wasn't sure anymore. The thought made me really, really sad.

At five in the afternoon all of my stuff had been moved to Nick's apartment (No, to _our_ apartment!), and my old apartment had been cleaned (By the girls. The guys had probably been drinking beers and playing pool, as nothing had been put in its right places when we returned to my new home.).

Aurelia had insisted on making dinner for us, though Nick and I were the ones who ought to do so. She wanted to make us some Portuguese dish that Jamie said tasted like Heaven. In the end we let Aurelia cook, but not without help from the rest of the girls.

Right before the dinner was ready, the door bell rang. Nick got up from the couch (he was, of course, watching some Champions League match with the other guys).

"I got it!" I shouted and hurried to the door. Nick laughed at me, but he let me open the door for the first time in _our_ apartment.

"Come on in!" I said to Natalie and David, who hadn't been able to arrive sooner.

"Thanks." David said and took Natalie's coat.

"I'm so sorry we couldn't come and help." Natalie said and handed me a big basket with two green plants, three bottles of red wine, and lots of fruit and chocolate. "As a small compensation!"

"Oh, thanks!" I said and had trouble holding it. "But you know, you really didn't need to. We're happy to have you come over, even if you didn't help!"

"Yeah, but…" Natalie said looking into the mirror in the corridor and moving a few hairs from her face. Then she whispered "…We would much rather have been here helping you!"

"We've been seeing my mother today." David said and took Natalie's hand. "To tell the truth, I think she can be quite a witch sometimes!"

"Ah…sounds fun!" I said and followed them to the living room.

"This is Natalie and David." I said to those who hadn't met them before. Tanya, who was sitting on the arm rest of Christopher's chair, staired rudely at the couple.

"Hi." David said quitely and gave a small smile. Natalie smiled widely holding his hand. No doubt she was still very much in love with him.

"Hey everyone." She said and reached out her hand to everyone, starting with Raymond.

Tanya stopped staring when Christopher whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said it was obviously much more fun than meeting the Prime Minister, and from that moment on no one behaved awkwardly towards David, though everyone knew who he was.

"Well, I think dinner is ready." I announced making David and Raymond get up from the couch. "Aurelia's the chef, so there's no need to worry."

"Thank God, I was afraid _you_ had been cooking!" Peter said and got up as well.

"Oh, shut it!" Juliet said and dragged him towards the dining table. Peter stopped her and kissed her, and I noticed Mark watching them. Then he looked at me with a frown, and for a second I was sure he was about to start crying.

Oh Mark, for God's sake! I thought and felt really bad for him. When would he stop caring for her? Seeing him hurt so much made my stomach ache. I just hoped it wouldn't go on for years. I missed my best friend, though he was right here beside me.

Dinner sort of went well. Though people didn't know each other, they had no problems talking, except with Mark. He barely said a word through dinner, and when he did, it was only when someone had addressed him. It began to annoy me, so I did what I could to make him talk. I asked him all kinds of questions, but he answered in one-word sentences only, and he avoided looking at me.

"Mark, can I talk to you for a sec?" I asked after a while. I had had a few glasses of red wine as had the others. "Please excuse us."

Mark got up and followed me reluctantly. I made him come with me to the corridor and closed the door behind us.

"So?" I said and waited for a reply. Mark looked up at me for a split second, then he looked down the stairs.

"What?"

"Why are you so quiet tonight? You've been all day!"

He shrudded his shoulders and looked me in the eyes for a long time as to make me believe that he had no idea why he was being quiet. I knew him better than to believe it.

"You're not exactly talkative right now, either!"

"I'm just…" He sighed. "…In a bad mood."

"Why? What's happened?" I asked in a tone that let him know that I expected an answer.

"Nothing happened. I don't know why. Maybe because of Grandma."

"Oh, come on, Mark!" I exclaimed. "I was sad too. I still get sad when thinking about her, but that's _not_ the reason why you're sad or angry or whatever you are tonight, and you know it! Is it Juliet? I bet it is…"  
"No, it's not." He interrupted me. "It's not Juliet. She's done nothing wrong."

"No, I know you feel that way. But, to tell the truth, Mark, it's about time you get over it. I know it's tough, but it's been years! And she's married! To you best friend! And we've been through this before. I thought you were getting better!"

"Yeah. I was." He admitted quietly. Well, at least it sounded quiet after the way I had been telling him off. "By the way, Peter's not my best friend."

"Don't go and change topics!" I almost yelled at him. It was amazing how he thought he could always talk his way out of things. "I'm sick and tired of seeing your sulky face every time we're together! I miss my best friend!"

"But Anna, I don't think you understand…"

"What? What is it that I don't understand? What it's like to be in love with someone you can't have? I've been there, so I know what it's like. I'm glad it's over, and if only you would start smiling to the women you meet instead of scaring them away, maybe you'd get over it too!"

"That's not what I…" He hesitated with a deep frown on his face.

"What?"

He looked me in the eyes before opening his mouth as to say something. Then he closed it again and began walking down the stairs.

"What, Mark?" I asked again, feeling a little nauseous. I must've eaten too much.

"Just go away, Anna!" He replied without looking back. "Please, go away!"

I watched him descend the stairs with tears filling my eyes. When I couldn't see him anymore, I listened to his footsteps. By the time I heard the door slam behind him, tears were streaming down my face.

"Anna?" A soft voice said behind me. I hadn't heard Nick opening the door behind me.

I turned around and let him take me in his arms. His sweater got wet from my tears.

"I think I just lost my best friend!"

---

MTV was turned on when Nick and I went back inside. I think people had heard our argument, because they were extraordinarily silent. The silence was emphasized by MTV playing _Had a Bad Day_ with Daniel Powter. I made for the bath room, and the others looked away politely. The guys began to talk about soccer, but though they always did, it suddenly sounded very affected.

I forced myself to stop crying, and when I was putting on some more make-up to hide the river deltas that my tears had carved into my cheeks, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Anna, can I come in?" It was Natalie.

"Just a sec." I said and finished powdering my face. Then I let her in.

"Are you okay?" She asked and locked the door behind her. She was swaying a little, and it made me smile.

"Don't you wanna sit down?" I said and made space so she could reach the toilet.

"Thanks." She said and burped. "Sorry. Think I may have had a little too much gin."

"Gin? When did he put _that_ on the table?"

"When you left to go talk to Mark."

"But we only spoke for five minutes or so!"

"What can I say? I had already been drinking when we got here, and then I had some red wine, and…" She burped again. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." I said and looked at her. She was so pretty. And it made me start crying again. Yeah. It did. It made me feel miserable, because I wasn't. Everyone was except me.

"You've had too much to drink too, haven't you?" Natalie asked with a giggle.

"Maybe." I said and wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. "Shit, I gotta put on some more make-up now!"

"Anna, do you know what you're doing?" Natalie said, her voice suddenly calm and serious.

"Yes, but I'm not sure if there's any make-up that can cover my red cheeks."

"I'm not talking about make-up." Natalie said with a pitiful look at me.

"Then what are you talking about?" I asked trying to cool down my cheeks with a wet towel.

"I'm talking about you and Nick."

"What about us? He's perfect, isn't he?" I said and felt another tear leaving my eye.

"Yeah, he's perfect, but so is Mark!"  
"No, he's not." I said and tried to stop crying. "He used to be my best friend, but he's changed because of Juliet. He's always so sad and angry these days. And I've hardly spoken to him since his grandma's funeral. And I don't know what _I've_ done wrong! Except… Well, at least it's not my fault that Juliet doesn't love him back, right?"

"Except what?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Really."

"I don't think he's in love with Juliet anymore. It doesn't look like it to me. He barely looked at her tonight. But did anything happen at his parents' place?"

"Well…" I hesitated. "It doesn't mean anything anyway."

"Did you tell him about your feelings?"

"Natalie, I love Nick. Mark knows that."

"Then what happened?"

"We…eh…sort of…kissed." I said the last word very quietly.

"You did!" Natalie exclaimed widening her eyes. Then she took a sip of the drink in her hand.

"Can I have some of that?" I asked and she gave it to me. "Thanks."

"How can you live with that?" She asked looking at me with wonder in her eyes.

"Nick and I talked it through. It didn't hurt him too much, I think, so I can live with it. I couldn't if we hadn't talked about it."

"No, I mean, how can you live with Nick if you're in love with Mark?"

"I'm not in love with him. I love him. But that's two different things."

"Are you sure? You used to be in love with him. Why would you not be now, just because you've met Nick?"

"Because Nick's perfect. Isn't he!"

"He seems perfect, but…"

"But what?"

"You've known Mark for so long. You've only just met Nick. Doesn't that mean anything?"

"Not when I'm only in love with one guy."

"Hm… Too bad they're both in love with you!"

"What? Natalie, honestly…!" I gave a little laugh. "Mark's not in love with me!"

"I think he is."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Why? It makes sense. That's why he's been acting weird since you kissed, and that's why he walked out on you now. He's hurting, can't you see!"

My stomach began aching again, but I chose to ignore it.

"Natalie! I'm with Nick. Maybe if – and I'm not saying that I am – but _if_ I were in love with Mark, then how could I possibly take the chance? I know I love Nick. Isn't that enough?"

"I don't know, Anna. I think…" She was silent for a moment (_and_ she reached taking another sip of her drink). "…I think that what you have with Nick is really, really beautiful. It's not something that you would want to jeopardize. But, on the other hand, could you ever be happy knowing that you may have had the one you've longed for your whole life, the one who could make you truly happy just by being around, if you had only dared taking the chance?"

"Stop it!" I said and covered my ears with my hands. I could still hear every word she said, though.

"I'm not telling you to dump Nick to go chasing after Mark. I'm just telling you to think it over very thoroughly before you decide to buy a house and have kids with Nick. He may not be the one you want to wake up with every morning for the rest of your life!"

"It's not like he's asked me to marry him or anything." I said trying to cheer us both a little up. "We're just moving in together."

"I know. I'm only telling you to think it through."

She got up and left the bath room, leaving me with a stomach-ache and a nostalgic wish of my mum holding me in her arms and rocking me to sleep.

---

"Anna, your boyfriend is just so perfect!" Juliet said in high spirits when coming into the kitchen.

Yes, I had left the bath room. There was only one thing I hated more than people smoking during dinner, and that was girls occupying a bath room for hours when other people needed to use it. Yes, I know. I had done so myself plenty of times before, when someone had needed to talk or just didn't want to go alone. Girls are like that when they get drunk. Isn't it right? Whenever we're at a party or a night club, and we've had a little to drink, we'll never ever go to the bath room alone. We'll always need at least one, preferably two or three, of our friends to come along. Lots of gossip has developed in bath rooms through times, and it's been fun while it lasted. But to the ones waiting outside – the ones who actually need to _use_ the toilet – girls who go together are a pain!

Juliet continued before I had a chance to answer.

"He was just telling us about you. About all the small details that he wouldn't know if he didn't love you very much."

"The small details that only he knows?" I asked feeling a little disappointed. Those details were not to be shared with his friends.

"Yeah, and he's looking so much forward to waking up with you every day! And he said he wanted to meet your parents. Too bad they live so far away. Have you met his parents yet?"

"No, I haven't. We've both been too busy for that. I wonder what they're like."

"They must be the sweetest parents on Earth when they can raise a son like Nick! You're so lucky, Anna, you know that? Don't you dare let this one go!"

_This one!_ It reminded me of something Mark once said. _This one._

Nick was more than just a _This__ One!_

---

I woke up the next morning with a head totally empty of thoughts. For a few moments I had absolutely no idea about what had happened the night before, what I had dreamt of, or where I was. Then I heard Nick humming in the kitchen, and I couldn't help smiling to myself.

I got up and put on my pyjama trousers and a top before I went to the kitchen. There was a smell of warm bread and melted butter, and it made me feel so good that I felt like giving Nick a big hug for making me breakfast.

I put my arms around him from behind and kissed his neck.

"'Morning, Love." He said and turned around to face me. "Did you sleep well?"

"I think so." I said and let him put his arms around me, his hands underneath my top.

"What did you dream?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? But you know how they say that your first dream in a new place tells you whether you'll have a good time or a bad!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember."

"Well, it's just old superstition anyway. Get back to bed, and I'll bring you your breakfast!"

I ran back to bed feeling really hungry, but I forgot about my hunger when Nick brought in the tray.

"What's this?" I asked puzzled, holding two tickets to the airport of Madrid in my hands.

"Plane tickets to Spain." He said and sat down beside me.

"Yes, I can see that, but why?" I asked, not meaning to sound ungrateful.

"Because lately you've been looking like someone who could need your parents. And I'd like to meet them as well. If you'd like me to, of course. Otherwise you could take Juliet with you. That's up to you."

"But…Nick!" I said finally realizing what I was holding in my hands. "That's so…Thanks!" I threw my arms around him and felt butterflies in my stomach. "Of course I want you to come with me! You make me so happy!"

Nick laughed a little and kissed me. Then he placed the tray on the floor and lay me down on the bed.

"Hungry?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

"Not for food." I replied and kissed him again.

* * *

A/N: Well, well, well…! Seems like Nick's the one for Anna, huh! And he's bought her plane tickets! Quite a considerate guy, I would say! Wouldn't mind my (non-existent) boyfriend to do so for me! 

Anyway, thanks to the gorgeous Daniel Powter for letting me use the title for his song _Had a Bad Day_ in this chapter (not that he knows I'm using it). That song makes me feel both happy and sad at the same time.

If you're still reading, please review as well. I do realize it's my own fault if people have grown tired of waiting for this story to finish, but I still have a vague hope that some of you haven't. Please let me know if you're still with me. Pleeease!

**Spooky Bibi**: Thank you so much for your nice review. As always, your review makes me feel like I'm going the right way with this story. And I'm glad you like both Mark and Nick. That's my intention. Heck, I love them both!

I think I wrote you long ago to tell you why I haven't read your story. In case I didn't, I can tell you that I don't watch the show 24. Do you have to know the show to read the story? Anyway, so glad you're still reading this. A huge thank you for that!

**Dawnie-7**: Hey Dawn! How've you been doing? Wanted to ask you something about a future chapter, but I never got around to doing it. May write you an e-mail later, if it's still okay.

Anyway, thanks so much for your nice words about my talent. You should see me blushing now!

I know you like Mark better than Nick, so you may hate this chapter. Sorry 'bout that. But Anna and Mark are like Lorelai and Luke (Gilmore Girls). They can go really far without realising the obvious! They may even go all the way! He he…

But thanks again, and sorry for keeping you waiting!

**cornishxxxpixie**: Thanks for the nice words about me and the previous chapter. Hope you find this okay as well.

So you don't like Nick? I think he's almost perfect. But only almost. I mean, there's only one man on Earth who can be perfect, and that's Brian McFadden! (Sorry. Saw him in concert on Saturday, and I still can't stop thinking about him!) But thanks for the review and for staying with me in spite of the very un-regular updating!

**Melisande**** Mab**: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like the story enough to read this far!

I know it's not logical for Anna to turn down Mark, but she's confused. She's been in love with him for so long and now she's finally found someone else. She really wants Nick to be the One, and if she accepts Mark's offer instead of Nick, it would be like saying she didn't want really want him after all. It's easy to see what she oughta do, but she doesn't think rationally at the moment. She's been hurting for years, and she's longing to be in love and be loved back. I don't know if this makes it any easier to understand why she turns down Mark, but I agree with you, because I'm out here, not in there in the story. It's not logical at all!

Anyway, hope this chapter has made her feelings a little clearer to everyone. And I hope you're still reading. Thanks!

**Avadriel**: He he… Thanks! Bet that'll make me get Anna and Mark together! Am too scared not to:)

Thanks for still liking this and my characterizations (Gees, I can't spell today. That word was really hard to type!) Shall keep you updated, though it may not be very often you hear from me!

**Serina**: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like the story. And you're right! It's better not to argue with grandparents. And I'm pretty sure that Clarisse was a very intelligent person – unfortunately, neither are Anna nor Mark!

**embracing**: Thanks for the review. I totally agree with you. I should write a little faster! No, actually, I should write a lot faster. And I'm trying to write whenever I can, but it's not very often. I'm about to finish my education, and things are only getting worse from now on and until February. I do hope, though, that this story will be completed before February. Not too many chapters left. Anyway, thanks for reading and for liking it!


	12. Spain

A/N: Hello everybody! Thanks for sticking with me. Won't post individual replies at the bottom this time, as it's not allowed anymore. Instead I'll do my best to give you all a personal reply. Can't to those who review without signing in, though.

Anyway, it's been a long time, I know. As always. BUT I've almost finished my education, and I only have one exam left, so I've kind of promised some of you to finish this story before I start in a new job. It should be possible, as the end is nearing. I think there're only two chapters to go except for this one. And, I warn you, this chapter is pretty short. Chapter thirteen, however, will be very different from the others. Won't tell you in which way, though.

Anyway, I know that part of this is a real cliché, but clichés work, don't they?

I'll leave it up to you to judge! Please review at the end. Thanks!

- Miss Sofie

* * *

**Chapter twelve - Spain**

I dialled Marks' number for the second time that morning, but I hung up before he had a chance to answer. I didn't know what to say to him. I hadn't exactly been nice to him the last time we spoke. I just thought that he should know I was going to Spain to visit my parents. He would be disappointed to find out later. Best friends tell each other what they do, right? Maybe not always in detail, but still… And I wanted to be Marks' best friend again, so I dialled the number once more. I let the phone ring five or six times before I hung up. Then I gave up.

Nick and I were about to leave for the airport, and I couldn't call from the plane, so I decided to wait and call Mark again when we came back. At least he could see that I'd tried to call him.

-

My parents came to pick us up in the airport of Madrid. It was so good to see them again, and I felt a little bad, because I hadn't visited them more often. It had been more than one and a half years this time.

-

"Hi sweetheart!" My dad, whose hair had turned gray since my last visit, said and came over to give me a hug. My mum followed behind, her eyes shining like a child's on Christmas Morning.

"Anna! Darling!" She said and hugged me before Dad had had a chance to let go of me. "It's so good to see you! How have you been? And you've brought Nick? I've been looking so much forward to meeting you!" She let go of me and reached out a hand to Nick.

"Nick, this I my mum, Nancy. Mum, this is Nick." I introduced them.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Carlings." Nick said politely. He was nervous. I could tell by the colour of his cheeks.

"You too. And call me Nance. Everyone calls me that."

"And this is my dad, Jason." I told Nick.

"Nice to meet you, sir." He said and shook my dad's hand.

"You too. Anna's told us so much about you!"

"She has? Well, you shouldn't believe everything she says!" Nick tried to joke, but I'm not sure my parents thought it was funny, though they both laughed. I just thought it was a cliché!

-

My parents had a house in the country about an hour from Madrid. Mum showed us to our bed room, when we arrived, and Dad brought us our luggage.

"We'll leave you to yourselves now," Mum said and dragged Dad towards the door. "so you can unpack. There're towels in the closet, if you'd like to shower."

"Thanks, Mum." I said and hugged her. "I'm happy to see you again!"

They left and Nick came over to embrace me.

"I just gotta go make a phone call." I said and got out of it. I was feeling hot and sweaty, and I didn't want Nick to hold me before I had taken a shower.

"We just got here. Who're you gonna call?" He asked a little disappointed.

"Just Mark." I replied and went downstairs.

-

"That was fast, Anna." Mum said as she saw me in the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink up to your room."

"Thanks, that'd be nice." I replied and looked around for the phone.

"What're you looking for?"

"I just thought I'd use the phone. I need to call Mark."

"Oh. Of course. Your dad bought us this new wireless one. Now we can sit on the porch while we're talking."

"Sounds great." I said and meant it. My parents had never been very up-to-date when it came to phones, radios, televisions and everything else of the sort.

She handed me the phone with a loving smile at me. I had missed her so. And Dad.

"I'll just…go outside." I said and left for the garden.

-

It was really nice outside. It was warmer than at home, so I took off my shoes and socks to walk bare-footed. I felt the grass between my toes as I walked over the lawn. The sun was shining, the air was fresh, and my mood was better than it had been for ages when I called Mark again.

-

"Hello." I heard Mark's voice in the phone.

"Finally!" I said and felt so happy that I almost began to laugh.

"Anna." Mark stated coldly. I couldn't really blame him.

"Guess where I'm calling from!" I said pretending I hadn't noticed his bad mood.

"How would I know? Las vegas?"

"Why Las Vegas?" I asked wonderingly.

"I just thought maybe you and Nick had left to get married, since you're sounding so happy!" _He_ still didn't sound too happy.

"No. I'm calling from Spain, and I just wanted to apologise and to tell you I'm at my parents' place."

"Oh." He said sounding a little less fierce. "Give them my best."

"I'll do that." I hesitated for a moment. "How are you, Mark?"

"I've been better, I guess." He said, and immediately my mood changed.

"What's wrong?" I asked concernedly. The grass between my toes felt colder than a minute a go.

"I…ehm…I can't really talk about it." He said, and I pictured him frowning before me.

"I'm not gonna scold you. I'm really sorry 'bout that. I should've listened to you. Sorry."

"It's okay. But seriously. I can't talk about it."

"Is it work?"

"Yeah…it's…work."

"And you'll let me know if there's anything I can do, right?"

"Yup. But there isn't."

"But maybe I can tell you something to cheer you up a bit?"

"You can?" His voice had turned hopeful like all of a sudden. It made me smile.

"Yeah. Nick and I are in Spain together. He gave me plane tickets. That's really sweet, isn't it? And Mum and Dad are doing great, I believe. And the weather is great and they've met Nick and I think they like him. Isn't that great?" I said everything very quickly. I sort of had to say it, though I wasn't sure if it was true.

"That's great. That's really brillant!" Mark said sounding very sarcastic. I chose to believe that it was the long distance between us that made his voice sound funny.

"Anyway, I just thought I'd tell you where I was, in case you tried to get in touch."

"Thanks. Now I won't try, as I know there's no need to."

"Exactly!" I said and failed to hear the sarcasm once again. "I'll see you when we get back, okay!"

"Yup."

"Alright, then. Bye."

"Bye."

As I walked back to the house I had a strange feeling of missing out on some part of the conversation. I just didn't know what it was. But at least Mark and I were friends again!

-

That night Mum and Dad took us out to dinner. Nick was being the perfect gentleman, pulling out the chair for me, refilling my glass when it was empty, and all that kind of things. I was flattered, but also a little proud, I think. I had never presented a guy to my parents before, who behaved exactly they way they'd like him to. I don't think there was anything about Nick that my parents could dislike, and I even did my best to spot something.

Then, when we had almost finished the dessert, something unusual happened. Nick was the only one who had finished eating, when he rose.

"Where are you going?" I asked putting down my spoon.

"No where." He replied and put a hand on my shoulder. I just need to ask you something."

"If we need to discuss it somewhere else, can't it wait till we've finished?" I whispered, but I'm quite sure my parents heard anyway.

"It's not that…" He said, and then, to my great surprise, he took out something from inside his jacket and got down on one knee. "Anna, will you marry me?"

At that moment I think I got a minor heart attack. At least that's how it felt. I was so unprepared for this that I didn't know what to say, so I just sat there, staring at the ring Nick was holding up to me.

"Anna?" Nick said after a while. I hadn't moved yet, but as I looked around I saw everyone in the restaurant looking at me, waiting for me to give Nick my answer. How could I say no? I'm not saying that I wanted to say no, but if I had wanted to, there was no chance I could do so, right?

"Anna? Anna, love, are you alright?" Nick asked and took my hand. He was still on one knee.

"Ehm…yes." I said and tried to focus on the man before me. Did I want to spend the rest of my life with him?

"You don't have to answer yet." Nick said and got up. I think he was quite disappointed.

I looked around and saw disappointement and pity on all the faces of the people in the restaurant.

"Yes, Nick." I said and squeezed his hand. "I'll marry you!"

"Really?" He said and his face lit up. "You'll be my wife?"

"I'll…be you wife!" I said and got up as well.

He threw his arms around me and lifted me from the floor.

"I love you so much!" He whispered and put me down again. Then he kissed me, and everyone in the restaurant cheered and congratulated him, though they didn't know him.

"She'll be my wife!" He said loud enough for everyone to hear it. Then he hugged me again, and I couldn't help noticing my mum behind him. She looked panic-stricken!

-

When we got to bed that night, Nick began kissing me on the neck right-away.

"Take it easy. Let me get to bed first." I said and pulled up the blanket.

"Sorry. I just can't keep my hands off you, baby!" He said and bit my ear gently.

"Nick!" I said a little more annoyed than I intended to. "We need to talk."

"About what?" He asked and stopped caressing me. "Our marriage?"

"Yes. Among other things." I replied still feeling annoyed.

"Let's have a big wedding. So everyone will know we're married!"

"Yeah. Maybe. But…"

"But what?"

"Don't you think we should've talked about the future before deciding to get married?"

"What! Don't you want to marry me after all?"

"Yes… That's not it. I just think we should…"

"You know, Anna, you didn't have to say yes. You don't have to marry me if you don't want to."

I could tell by the tremble in his voice that he was hurt.

"No, Nick. That's not what I'm saying. I _do_ want to marry you!"

"Then what is it?"

"I'd just like to talk about the future. Where will we live and how many children do we want?"

"We'll live in our apartment, of course. It's big enough for us even with a child."

"But it's not big enough when we get more children."

"I don't think we should have more than one."

"Are you serious? I'd like to have at least three!"

"But children are so messy! And they make so much noise. And we won't ever have time for ourselves, if we get more than one."

"Of course we will! And the time with the children will be even better than the time without them!"

"I don't agree. I don't want more than one child."

"But I do…" I said feeling more surprised than annoyed by now.

"Anna, you're being rather selfish now. I agreed to one child, right? Why isn't that enough!"

"Alright, but then can't we at least get a dog? So our child will have someone to play with?"

"A cat, perhaps, but definitely not a dog!"

"Why not? Dogs are the most loyal animals you can get!"

"But they shed everywhere and they are so smelly!"

"So no dog and just one child!" I asked disbelievingly.

"I'm glad we agree!" Nick stated and put his arms around me. He kissed my neck and I felt his hand beginning to pull off my night gown.

"Nick, not now." I said tiredly. "I have a head-ache."

"Alright, love. Sleep tight."

"You too." I said with my eyes open, not intending to close them and go to sleep yet. I knew I couldn't sleep anyway.

-

After a while, however, I must've been dreaming, though I thought I was still awake. I dreamt, or maybe I just remembered, that Mark and I talked about our future back when we were 18 or 19. Mark said he wanted a whole bunch of children and dogs enough to drive them away when they got too annoying. He was, of course, only joking about the dogs, though I knew he wanted at least two of them and probably more. And he would never want to live in a small flat in the city, once he had children. If he'd ever find someone to have them with. My heart ached for Mark when I closed my eyes again. I hoped that someday he'd find the one who could give him what he dreamt of.

I fell asleep with a picture of Mark and I retrieving a Christmas tree on a snowy winter's day. A few moments later there were children all around us, playing in the snow with frosty pink cheeks. Dogs were running around barking with joy, and I had the most pleasant sleep that I had had for a long time!

* * *

A/N: Short, I know. I think the next chapter will be a bit more fun. And contain a little (only a little) action. Thanks for reading! 


	13. Just a Dream

_A/N: Sorry! That's all I can say. It´ll probably happen again._

-

**Chapter Thirteen – Just a Dream**

_Mark's Point of View:_

I hate him. I've hated him from the first time I let eyes on him.

From the moment he spilled his coffee on Anna in the airport, I've known that he was something special. And I don't mean that in a positive way. I hate Nick!

And I love Anna. I've always loved her. Maybe not the way I do now, but I _have_ always loved her, though sometimes I haven't shown her enough.

I think I was afraid. I was afraid to show her that I loved her, because she could've turned away from me. It was easier to love her from a distance, knowing that none of the guys she dated was ever a real threat to me. I would still be the one she turned to when she got hurt. The one she confided in.

But all that changed when Nick spilled his coffee in the airport. I knew she was gonna fall in love with him. I just knew it. But maybe it changed long before Nick. Maybe it was my own fault. Maybe I let her down when I met Juliet. I wanted so much to fall in love with someone else than Anna that I kept telling myself that Juliet was my match. Even though I knew she was meant for Peter.

God, I've been so stupid. It's no wonder Anna got sick of listening to me mourning over Juliet. Who wouldn't? And just as I've come to my senses and realized that all this with Juliet was just an attempt to get over Anna, she meets the sickeningly perfect gentleman who can give her everything that I can't. How am I to compete with that? Especially when Anna has no clue that I love her. I guess I should've told her.

I sort of tried to, actually. When I knew that Nick was getting into the picture, I tried to tell Anna that I loved her. I already knew on New Year's Eve that he meant trouble, and so I got drunk and kissed her. I got drunk to have the courage to tell her that I love her, but instead I got too drunk and passed out after the kiss. And she was too drunk on New Year's Eve to remember the kiss afterwards, so I left it at that. That same night she and Nick started dating.

When my grandma died I was devastated. I would've been a lot worse off without Anna there to comfort me, but of course Nick had to be there as well. And once again, I wanted to tell Anna about my feelings, but Nick's "perfect timing" prevented me from doing so. I was so ashamed afterwards because I had kissed her, and she definitely remembered. Had she just dumped Nick to be with me, but no! He was so annoyingly understanding that I could've ripped his head off! And Anna obviously didn't want me to go around and kiss her.

I can't say I don't understand her. I'd be a bit scared to be kissed by a freak like me, too.

And then, the last time that I saw her, I ruined everything.

I tried to tell her about my feelings without kissing her.

I was having a hangover, and I was feeling really guilty. I had brought a girl home with me that night – I don't remember her name anymore – and I was feeling guilty because she was not Anna.

I'm pretty sure I was being a pain all day, not helping very much when moving Anna's stuff from her apartment to Nick's. My mood was so bad, and I'm amazed she didn't notice I had been crying on my way over to Nick's place. I didn't say much all day.

I couldn't stand the thought of her moving in with Nick, because no one else but me had ever been so close to her. And it looked like Nick was getting even closer.

When she wanted to talk to me that night and scold me for not getting over Juliet, all I wanted to do was tell her that I loved her and then run away with her. But I couldn't. I just couldn't. She would never have left Nick anyway, I'm sure. I was just a friend, right! A stupid, hopelessly devoted friend. Devoted, though it must've looked like I tried to prove the opposite.

When she called me from Spain to make friends again, I felt really happy for a short moment. Just listening to her voice again was so soothing. And it was good to hear that her parents were doing good. But then she told me that Nick was there too. That sort of ruined my day. I guess he was the reason why she sounded so happy on the phone. And until she told me he was there, I was stupid enough to hope that talking to me was the reason why she sounded happy.

I hate Nick!

The morning after they returned from Spain, Anna called me again. I thought she'd just tell me that they had come home, but could anyone _be_ more wrong? She called to tell me that Nick had asked her to marry him, and that she had said yes!

"You _what_?" I asked, almost shrieking into the phone.

"I said yes." She said again, and I think she laughed a bit. The kind of laugh that has no other cause but the person letting it out being extremely happy because everything is so perfect that you can only laugh at it.

"You _what_!" I exclaimed again, refusing to let the information sink in.

"Mark!" Anna said, the laugh still lurking somewhere not far away, I'm sure. "I consented to spend the rest of my life with Nick. I said yes to marrying him!"

"You _wh_… Oh." I said and lay down on the kitchen floor. I hadn't really thought about the location. I just needed to lie down.

"I think congratulations would be in place." She said still sounding a lot happier than I felt.

I didn't reply.

"Mark?"

"Are you sure?" I asked, my nose beginning to hurt. Tears were bound for my eyes, though I tried to fight them.

"If I'm sure?" She asked, the happy laugh having disappeared like all of a sudden. "Can anyone ever be really sure about anything?"

"Anna, if you're not sure, you shouldn't marry him!"

"But I don't think I'll ever be more sure of anything than I am of this."

"So if I asked you if you were sure you'd want to spend the rest of your life with Nick, you'd be more sure about it than about me being your best friend forever?" I know it was mean, but she hurt me. She hurt me real bad.

"Mark, you're not being fair…" She said sounding as hurt as I felt. "And I don't know what to say… I mean, lately, you've been acting as if…"

"As if what?" I asked, fighting to control my voice. It made my throat hurt.

"I don't know…"

"Anna!" I said, my voice following my command now. "How many times have I told you that I'll always be here?"  
"Lots. I guess." She said quietly. I had managed to drive away her happiness in a few minutes' time, which had not been my intention.

"Alright, Anna. Listen, I'm sorry if I made you feel bad. I didn't mean to. You just caught me by surprise. That's all." I said, tears streaming down to my ears (I was lying flat on my back).

"Mmm. " Was the only thing she said. Why did I always have to say the wrong things at the worst possible moments?

"Congratulations. I'm sure you'll be very happy." I said, adding a _for_ _a while_ inside my head.

"Thanks." She said not sounding convinced that I meant it. "I gotta go. Haven't told anyone else yet."

"Take care."

"You too."

We hung up.

I hate myself!

-

The wedding was supposed to be in August. Peter told me, because I hadn't spoken to Anna since she told me that she was going to marry Nick.

I pretended to be interested, though I didn't care. And towards myself I pretended not to care, though I was interested in all news about Anna.

I couldn't get myself to call her. I wanted to, but I was afraid what she'd say. That she was expecting Nick's child? That she was about to move to the other end of the World? I was afraid to hear anything that could make my own situation worse, so I didn't call her.

Then, one Saturday morning in the beginning of July, when I had just gotten out from the shower, my door bell rang. It was rather early, so I figured it'd be someone I knew. I tied a towel around my waist and went to open the door. And there she was. In all her beauty with the sun shining everywhere around her, birds twittering in her hair, and stars falling from the sky! – Though she was standing in a dark hallway.

She was wearing a short summer dress, her hair was put up casually, though beautifully, with a few locks falling down to caress her shoulders, and she was smiling at me. She looked exactly like an angel. And I totally lost the ability to speak!

"Hi Mark." She said stepping closer to give me a peck on the cheek.

I didn't reply. I felt nailed to the spot.

"Did I interrupt your shower?"

"Ehm…" I said suddenly aware of my lack of clothes.

"Ehm!" She mocked with a smile and closed the door behind her. Then she took off her small sandals and went barefeet into the living room. "I'll wait here while you get dressed."

I hurried back to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and put on the scent that Peter and Juliet had given me for Christmas. Then I went to my bedroom to get dressed.

"Not that I mind your visit, but what brings you here on a Saturday morning?" I asked from the bedroom. The walls were so thin that I knew she could hear me.

"I thought I'd take you to breakfast." She said while I tried to choose between long, black trousers or short, gray ones. Though it wasn't even 9 yet, it was hot outside, so I chose the shorts.

"Sounds nice."

"Have you got all day?"

"For breakfast?" I asked buttoning the white shirt with short sleeves that I had chosen to go with the shorts.

"No, for helping me chose a wedding dress."

"Seriously?" I asked popping out my head to look at her.

"Sure. Why?"

"Wouldn't…Juliet or Natalie or someone be better at that than me?"

"Perhaps, but they wouldn't be half as fun!"

"I'm honoured!" I said and went back to put on some socks. "It's lucky that I've got no plans today, then."

I hurriedly wrote Mia a message telling her that I couldn't come over to watch soccer with her in the afternoon, though we had talked about it earlier that week.

"I would've found another day, if you had."

I had finished dressing and went into the living room, grapping my sandals on the way.

"What's that?" Anna asked with an amused smile on her face?

"What?" I had no clue what she was talking about.

"White socks in sandals?"

"I guess I could change to black ones…"

"Why wear socks at all? It's really hot today!"

"But I'm a guy…"

"And guys are definitely _not_ sexy wearing socks in sandals!"

"Who says I want to be sexy?" I asked taking off my socks.

"No one. But you don't want to be the opposite, either!"

Then she came over to give me a hug.

"Id really appreciate it if you'd help me pick a dress. It'd mean a lot to me." She sniffed for a moment. Mmm... "I love that scent!"

-

Watching Anna in one beautiful dress after another was almost too much for me to take. And at the same time I loved it. No matter what she wore, she looked terriffic. And happy. And I had the nicest time for a very, very long time. We laughed and joked as we used to, and we didn't talk much about Nick. Except for when I liked a dress particularly much, and I knew she did too. Then she would very often say that Nick wouldn't like it. That's why she finally chose a wedding dress that had too many laces and a veil that was too long. Well, that's just _my_ opinion, of course!

"So, will your parents come home for the wedding?" I asked as we stopped shopping to have lunch.

"Yes, and they'll stay for a week. They talked about visiting your parents. They haven't seen each other for...4 years, I think."

"My folks would love it."

"But I've invited them to the wedding, so they'll see each other there as well."

"My parents?"

"Yeah. I thought they'd like to come. And they're, like, my other parents, so I wouldn't want them not to be there."

I didn't know what to say, so I grabbed the menu. I wondered what Nick had said to that. My parents at his wedding? Ha!

"By the way, Nick's polterabend is the weekend before the wedding. He asked me to ask you to come."

"He really wants me to?" I asked and thought it was no fun that he knew about his own polterabend.

"Why wouldn't he?"  
"I don't know...I just had the feeling that he wasn't so very fond of me."

"That's ridiculous! Nick likes all of my friends!"

Aha!

"Well, I'm not sure I can come. Is it Friday or Saturday?" I said trying make up an excuse while waiting for the answer.

"Saturday."

"Ah, too bad. I'm not available that Saturday."

"Isn't it something that can be rearranged?"

"No, unfortunately. I have an appointment with a...eh...doctor."

"On a Saturday?"

"He's a specialist."

Anna looked at me with suspicion written all over her face, and I know it sounded lame, but it was all I could come up with. There was no way I was going to celebrate Nick. Nah-ah. Nope!

"Well, the appointment may be cancelled." Anna said and took the other menu on the table.

-

I had stayed in contact with Anna all summer. I had probably spent a little too much time with her, but never with Nick around. I'm not sure he knew exactly how much time, otherwise he would've complained, I'm sure.

But a week and a half before the wedding, Anna told me that she had to stop seeing me this much. She was behind with the wedding preparations, and she wanted everything to be perfect. So she dumped me. That's not how she said it, of course, but that's how it felt.

For a couple of days I tried to pretend that it didn't matter to me, but on the Saturday before the wedding, when there was nothing to take my thoughts off the topic, I couldn't help but feeling thrown into deep, ice cold water and left there.

I wrote a message to Mia about meeting me out on town, and then I left home to go drinking. I know this wasn't a very smart move, but I had to do something. Almost no matter what. I just needed to get it out of my system!

-

It was rather early, so at first I was almost alone in the pubs. I think the bartenders thought I looked like an old, drunken soak, except maybe for the 'old' part, and I pretty much felt like it. But I didn't care. I just drank my beer and waited for Mia to show up.

Around midnight, when I was beginning to feel rather plastered, I got an sms from Mia saying that she couldn't go out. I didn't really care anymore. My own company was enough for me. I didn't need anyone else.

Not long after I got Mia's message, my phone rang. It was Nick, and I thought about ignoring it. Then I decided to answer it and tell him off.

"Mark." I answered the phone, trying to keep cool.

"It's Nick. Where are you, Mark?" I heard his voice with loud music and voices in the background.

"At _Dungeons_." I replied, imagining Nick left on a desolate island with nothing but his boxers and a sunburn to keep him company.

"_Dungeons_? What in the world are you doing in such a dump? We're at _Spartacus_'. Come on over. It's only two minutes from there."

"I don't think so." I said as harshly as possible.

"Come on, Mark! No need to be so boring all the time!"

"But I can't." Suddenly, I didn't feel like telling him off anymore. I just felt like going home. "Doctor's orders."

"Well, if you can't come here, I guess we'll have to come there. See you in a minute!"

Oh no! That wasn't exactly what I had planned. And the last person on Earth I wanted to see was Nick. Why didn't he get that? If I could only drink up fast enough to leave before Nick and his friends would arrive!

But of course I couldn't! I was heading for the door, as a whole party of drunk and happy men came pouring in. In front were Nick's two best friends, Christopher and Raymond.

"Mark!" Raymond shouted and lay his arm around my neck in a very hey-there-best-mate kind of way. I was totally wasted and didn't like him touching me at all. He was _not_ my best friend and he was never going to be. Anna was.

"Take your hands off me!" I said and pushed Raymond away.

"Hey, what's the matter with you!" Christopher asked me a little angry and caught Raymond, who was too drunk to stand when pushed.

I ignored him.

"Mark!" Another voice shouted and I saw Nick being pushed through the door – paint in his face and a pink skirt around the waist.

"Nick." I said cooly and tried not to seem drunk.

He shook my hand and motioned me to sit down with him.

"I really should be going." I tried, but Raymond sort of pushed me into a chair.

"What's your problem!" I yelled and shoved his hands off my shoulders with an angry glare at him.

"What's _your_ problem!" He yelled back at me, spitting through his teeth.

"Take it easy, Raymond." Nick said and pulled him down into the chair next to him. "You're drunk!"

Christopher sat down on Nick's other side, and suddenly I felt sort of trapped. Especially as the rest of the party joined us. Peter was there, and so was Jamie, but they were standing a little away. The tables were rather small, so there was not enough space for everyone.

"How come you couldn't come party with us today?" Raymond asked in a demanding toned which really annoyed me.

"I had an appointment." I answered downing the rest of my beer. "I need to go get another one of these." I said and tried to get up. But I fell back into the chair.

"What appointment?" Raymond asked.

"Raymond…stop!" Christopher said and sent his friend an angry look.

"That's none of your business!" I replied and tried to get up again. This time Raymond got up and pushed me back onto the seat.

"Could it be that you're too good to our company? That Nick is not good enough for you?"

"Raymond!" Christopher yelled and got up.

"Take your hands off me, you filthy…." Was all I reached to say before I felt Raymond's fist knock me over.

When I got up again with a little help from someone behind me, I was surprised to see Nick sitting in his chair, pretending that nothing had happened.

Another fist hit my face, but this time I managed to keep to me feet. I tried to defend myself and hit Raymond back, but instead I hit Christopher who was trying to hold back Raymond.

At this Nick got to his feet. "That's enough! It's not Mark's own fault that he's not half the man that Anna needs!"

It clicked. Inside my head something clicked. And I hit him. I hit him real hard, and though his friends got back at me afterwards, it was revenge enough for me to know that I had given Nick a black eye. With only a week left till the wedding, there was a good chance it wouldn't be gone by then. It amused me in all me drunkeness while Raymond and Christopher beat me up, until someone (probably Peter and Jamie) dragged me away from there.

I remember how hard it was to breathe while I was being pushed outside through all the girls who were suddenly entering the bar. I must've been really drunk or having a concussion or something, because girls seemed to be everywhere.

When Anna suddenly stood before me, laughing with a friend until she noticed me, I was gasping for air. Her eyes burnt me like a thousand scars, and I was sure I saw disappointment in them.

"Mark!" she said without a sound. For a moment the time seemed to stand still, and there was no one there but me and her. Her and me.

Then I was pushed onwards and so was she. I heard her calling my name, but someone threw me into a taxi and that's when all went black.

-

_Anna's Point of View_

I don't know why Mark didn't like Nick, but I was pretty sure he didn't. His excuse for not coming to Nick's stag night reeked of being made up in less than ten seconds. And as he wasn't there for breakfast before boys and girls split up, I reckoned he wouldn't show up at all. It made me kind of sad, because I had looked forward to share the last hours of my own stag night with my best friend. Tanya and Christopher had planned the stag nights, and they had proclaimed that we should begin the day together and end it together as well. It was fine with me, because this way I would have a chance to see Mark and party with him, though it wouldn't be as it used to with only him and me out on town.

Anyway, I had a fine day though it was a little more boring than I had expected my stag night to be. Nick had called me more than once that day, and I really didn't find it the right thing to do. We should spend the days apart, and then meet at night. No phone calls included. But I guess it was really sweet that he missed so much that he called me whenever he could get away from his friends for a few moments. After his fourth call, though, Natalie took my cell phone, turned it off, and put it in her own purse. It was a kind of relief!

Around midnight, when we reached a bar called "Dungeons", I was beginning to feel tired. I couldn't tell whether I was happier to be seeing Nick soon or to be going home soon. But I _was_ feeling happy when entering Dungeons, right until I saw someone who had been Mark until recently, but who was now nothing but alcohol, bruises, and blood.

I tried to say his name, but no sound came out. He looked up at me for a very short while, but it was long enough for me to fall through his eyes and into his soul. He hurt. He hurt real bad, and still he was able to give me a little smile. It almost made me cry and I wanted to stop and hold him, and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but someone pushed me inside.

I called his name, but there was no answer.

Once inside I turned around to get out, but all of my friends kept pushing me back, so it took me quite a while to get through. When I finally got outside the street was empty. Well, maybe not _empty_ empty, but there was no Mark. A taxi was driving off in the distance, and it was the only logical solution for his disappearing I could find.

I stayed outside for a while, trying to calm myself and breathe normally again. It wasn't easy and it only got harder to breathe, when someone put his arms around me from behind.

"Hey there, Love!" Nick whispered in my ear. "What're you standing out here for?"

"What happened?" I asked tears leaving my eyes. Nick couldn't see them, and my voice was normal. "What happened to Mark?"

"He never showed." Nick said, and made me freeze. I had never expected him to lie to me.

"What happened?" I asked again, turning around to face Nick. "And don't you dare lie to me again!"

"Alright, alright!" He said not noticing my tears. "He got into a fight with Raymond. I don't know what happened, but Mark sort of went berserk. He even hit _me_!"

"Who started it?" I asked not believing Mark to go berserk. That was not my Mark.

"He did." Nick said and kissed my cheek. "Come on, let's go inside."

"Why did you lie to me?" I demanded, not moving though he tried to get me inside.

"Anna, honestly!" He said with a sigh. "I only wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to know until tomorrow."

"But I'd want to know! He's my best friend, for God's sake!"

"Your best friend…" Nick said to himself instead of asking me. "Hm…Aren't I supposed to be?"

I ignored him and lay my head upon his chest. I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to sleep and wake up to find out that it was just a dream.

That it was all just a dream!

-


	14. 25 Minutes

**A/N:** Finally! The last update! Know a few of you are still holding on, and for that I'll be forever thankful!

There's no excuse whatsoever for me being so slow at updating. I guess from now on I'll just have to wait publishing the stories until I've finished them.

Anyway, I had quite a hard time writing this chapter. I stink at writing endings. Ought to have a beta-writer who'd finish my stories. Have plenty of un-finished stories on my computer.

BUT….I hope you'll enjoy reading. And I hope you'll like the ending. I think I sort of do – for once!

Oh, by the way, in an earlier chapter I kind of hinted something about Nick. It was my intention to use it later on in the story, but I never got around to write the section it would fit into afterall. I'm really sorry 'bout that, and I hope only a few of you have noticed the small hints.

* * *

**Chapter fourteen – 25 Minutes**

I had a pain in my stomach that just wouldn't go away.

"You're nervous!" My mum kept telling me, and I guess she was right.

We were in the living room of their old house. I never understood why they didn't sell it when they moved to Spain. They were never in London, and when they were, they could as well stay at a hotel or with me.

Anyway, we were in the house now, and I was all dressed and styled and ready to get married. I just had to run to the bathroom over and over again, and my stomach ached.

"The ache will go away as soon as we reach the church."

"You're probably right." I murmured and lay a cool hand on my forehead. "What time is it?"

"Two minutes ago, when you also asked, it was a quarter to ten!" She smiled at me and shook her head a little.

"Sorry." I said and went to the window. "I'd just wish Dad would be here with the car soon.

"We said ten o' clock, so you'll have to wait a little more.!

"I can't." I said and took forth my cell phone.

"You're _not_ gonna carry that under your dress!" My mum said in a scolding voice, though I could see that she was amused.

"No, it's just until we reach the church." I replied and dialled Mark's number. I hadn't talked to him after the stag night, though I had called him a dozen times each day. I didn' get through to him this time, either.

"I'd just wish he would answer the stupid phone!" I said and threw my own phone on the floor. "Why won't he talk to me?" Tears came into my eyes, and my Mum seemed to be about to panic, so I calmed down.

"Maybe he's at his parents' place." My mum suggested.

"Mum, everyone's got cell phones these days. He always brings his phone, whereever he goes."

"Alright. But maybe he doesn't want to disturb you, then. He knows you're busy."

I sent her a look that told her "Come on!".

"_I_ have been calling _him_, Mum!"

She didn't reply to that. Instead she changed the subject and did her best to smile instead of looking worried. But it seemed a nervous smile, and I only pretended to be calm for her sake. Inside of me everything was a mess.

---

Finally at the church. Dad and I arrived a little later than the rest, so no one would see me in my dress.

I was, if possible, even more nervous than before.

As I heard the vicar's voice talking about marriage between a woman and a man, I thought it safe to take a quick look inside. Just to form a view of the situation.

There was Nick in his black suit. He looked good, but nervous. Someone had succeeded in covering his black mark around the eye quite well. Christopher stood next to him. He was the best man. Both of them had a single pink rose in their breast pocket. They matched my bridal bouquet and the bridesmaids' dresses. Natalie, Tanya and Aurelia were bridesmaids. I would've preferred Juliet to be the only bridesmaid, but Nick didn't want her to, because she was already married.

I took a look around and saw faces I knew and faces I didn't know. I had, of course, met Nick's closest family, but I had never seen his aunts and uncles. To be honest, I hadn't wanted to include so many people to my wedding. My own aunts and uncles were there as well, and some of them I hadn't seen since childhood. They sort of didn't fit in at my wedding. All of my friends had been invited, and evereybody had accepted the invitation. I looked around to find Mark. He ought to be sitting up front with my mum (and Dad, when he had walked me up the aisle), but I knew him well enough to know that he would try to find a place near Peter and Juliet instead. He didn't want to trouble my parents, which I knew they would never think he did.

Anyway, I couldn't see him, neither near my mum nor near Peter and Juliet. It worried me, but I reckoned he had just found some other place, hiding behind someone big and tall.

After what seemed like hours, I finally heard the organ music that was the signal for me and Dad to enter. For the first time in my life, I saw tears in his eyes. I had never seen my dad cry before, and I had never thought I'd experience it twice one the same day.

"But Dad!" I said and put my arms around him. I loved him so much at that very moment.

"It's alright." He said and shook his head with a little smile. "It's just your old man getting sentimental. I've been waiting for this moment since the day I held you in my arms for the first time. And now I can hardly believe the moment's already come!"

"But it has, Dad," I said and fought with my own tears, "and it'll be as perfect as you've always dreamt it would be!"

"I know, love." He said and took my arm. "Let's go make them all speechless. You look so beautiful!"

"Thanks, Dad!" I said and entered the church with him.

Walking up the aisle was not exactly as I had expected it to be. Everyone stared at me with smiles on their faces – some with happy tears in their eyes. The organ played the usual wedding melody, and the sun shone though the small, coulourful window panes. The setting was perfect, but all I could do was search the church with my eyes. I couldn't find Mark anywhere and I was afraid I'd panick in a minute or two. How could I possibly get married without my best friend there to support me? He ought to be by my side on a day like this. It was probably going to be the biggest day of my life, but how could I possibly go through it alone? I had never expected to do anything this big without my childhood friend witnessing it, and I was about to back out when my dad took a firmer grip of my arm.

"Dad, I have to…" I whispered, but he squeezed my arm to silence me.

"Later." He whispered back through his smile. I don't think anyone noticed our little "conversation".

When holding Nick's hand in front of the vicar, I tried to tell myself that everything was alright. Mark hadn't shown up at my wedding, and a true friend would've come. Nick was my best friend now, and I was about to marry him. Actually, it was perfect. Marrying my best friend was what I had dreamt about for years, and now it was finally going to happen. I ought to feel really, really happy.

Nick and I promised to love and to honour each other in sickness and in health and all that, and we finally said our I do's. Like all of a sudden I had become a married woman! Nick kissed me on the cheek and saved the real kiss for later. I hadn't counted on that, but I didn't mind. I didn't feel like kissing him too passionately in front of my parents. Nor in front of Mark's parents. Don't ask me why.

Everyone followed us out of the church, and the photographer that Nick's parents had hired, were waiting for us. On top of the stairs to the church we stopped to have our photos taken. People swarmed outside and stopped to congratulate us, so it took quite a while for the photographer to get an opportunity to take the perfect photograph. I do think he concentrated a bit too much on getting the prime minister into the photo as well, but I didn't care.

Like all of a sudden a taxi pulled over near the church. Someone came out of it, and for some reason the person caught my attention, though I couldn't tell who it was.

The man seemed to be in a hurry, and when he came closer I recognized Mark with his hair in a mess, red eyes and crumpled clothes. He was wearing jeans and a shirt, and he didn't look like someone on his way to a wedding.

I think my heart skipped a beat. I let go of Nick's hand and took a step down the stairs.

"Anna?" Nick said and reached for my hand again.

"Just…one minute." I told him without looking at him. I let go of his hand again, and he must've seen Mark, because I heard him sigh loudly.

"Anna!" Mark said as we reached each other. "I'm so sorry! Can you ever forgive me?"

"Mark, what happened?" I asked and overheard his question. He looked awful. Like someone who'd been drinking for 48 hours. Or crying for 48 hours. Or maybe both.

"I'm sorry I'm too late!"

"I'm sorry too." I said and felt like I had just made the biggest mistake of my life.

He looked at his watch.

"25 minutes too late." He said quitely and took my hand. "You're already waering Nick's ring."

"But your in time for the party." I said and tried to smile. I failed.

"I don't care about the party!" He said sounding almost angry. Then he lowered his voice. "I only care about you! I love you!"

My heart definitely skipped a beat and I realized that my stomach-ache had gone.

"I love about you too, Mark," I whispered, "but…"

"But what?" He asked and tears appeared in the corner of his eyes.

"I'm married." I murmured, tears coming into my eyes as well now.

"But you can't be!" He cried and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I can." I replied. "But I realize now that I shouldn't be." Tears began streaming down my cheeks, probably making the make-up run with them. I couldn't care less.

"Are you saying that you don't want to be married?" There was a trace of hope in Mark's voice.

"No," I said and let his hopes down again, "but I don't want to be married to Nick."

"So…you want to be married to someone else?"

"I guess so." I replied shyly. When was the last time I had felt shy towards Mark?

"You'll marry me?" He asked, still with some doubt in his voice.

"I…eh…I think I'll just have to go explain something to Nick.

"Alright." Mark said and a big smile suddenly appeared on his face. "But wait a minute…" He grapped me around the waist and gave me a big and passionate kiss though everybody was staring at us. "Have anyone told you how beautiful you look today?"

I didn't reach to reply as Nick interrupted.

"How dare you…?!" He yelled and tore me away from Mark. Then he grapped the latter by his collar, but before he reached to hit him with his fist, Peter and Jamie came between the two of them and held Nick back.

"Go ahead and beat me up again!" Mark spat. "I don't care! She'll never be yours!"

"Wrong!" Nick yelled back. "In fact you didn't know, she just married me!"

"Is it true, Nick?" I asked quitely. Every sound suddenly seemed to be far away. I could only see and hear Mark and Nick. Everything else was a blur. "Is it true that you beat him up?"

Nick hesitated, and I turned away from him. I knew he wasn't too fond of Mark, but I had never thought he'd actually be violent towards him.

"Well," he finally said, "I didn't exactly…"

"I've seen and heard enough!" I interrupted him. "And I sort of want to thank you, because now I won't feel the slightest bit bad about divorcing you!"

I suddenly realized all the people around us. They were all staring, but they could stare all they wanted to. I noticed my dad crying. For the second time that day. And for some strange reason those tears seemed to be happier than the first ones.

---

I walk out the door and leave it open behind me. I'm carrying a glass of lemonade for Mark. He's sitting beneath the big birch in our garden. He's holding our son, Clayton, in his arms. Clayton's named after Mark's grandma, Clarisse. We both still miss her a lot.

I place the glass on the table and reach out to take Clayton. He's been crying a bit. I heard him from the kitchen. He's probably feeling too hot. It's been a year since I married Nick, and the summer is really hot this year. I feel sorry for Clayton, but I can't do anything about the heat.

As I sit down, Mark gets up and kisses me.

"Thank you." He says and kisses my forehead.

"You're welcome." I reply and look fondly at him. I know he's not thanking me for bringing him the lemonade. He's thanking me for giving him a son and making him happy. Inside of me I thank him everyday as well. Often I tell it to him.

Nick refused to divorce me, so it took a while to get the marriage annulled, but last week I could finally feel free again. I don't expect I'll ever see him again. My newly-found freedom I have already given away again. To Mark, of course, and to Clayton. Mark and I are going to get married in September along with the christening of Clayton. I hope it'll be a warm autumn with lots of sun and blue sky. We'll marry in a small village church not far from Milton Keynes.

Juliet and I are planning the decorations these days. She and Peter are expecting their first child. It's a girl, and we've already planned for her to marry Clayton, when they grow up.

Of course we're only joking. No one would want to marry for other people's sake. I didn't want to either, but I did anyway. I shouldn't have, but luckily for me, Mark finally came to his senses and came to my rescue like the white knight on his steed.

He may have been 25 minutes too late back then, but 25 minutes is far better than a lifetime!

I'll be forever thankful to him!

* * *

**A/N:** "_25 Minutes_" is a song by Danish pop band _Michael Learns to Rock_. Do yourself a favour and listen to it, if you can. It's really sweet, and it inspired me to the scene outside the church. The song's pretty much Mark's feelings in words!

Please take the time to review. It'd mean so much to me, and I promise I'll reply to everyone who does! Thanks:o)


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